A Supreme Queen
by Overfic23
Summary: Momonga wasn't alone, and with his loyal friend by his side this new world might be fun.
1. Chapter 1

The guild halls of Seraphim were quiet. Over the years many of its members had stopped playing YGGDRASIL, leaving just a few members left in this empty shell of a once mighty guild. The servers were shutting down tonight, and the last few vested players had spent the final hours touring their creation for nostalgia's sake.

Walking through the halls one would be overcome by the divinity of this place, the walls sparkled with a white purity and the air seemed to glow with a holy light. A being that fit perfectly with the décor strolled through his guild base. He was a player, with an angel type character to match such a holy place. The melancholy in his gaze was palpable. After all, he was the last active member of this once glorious guild, the only person to see the final moments of the world he and his friends created.

Suddenly, he dove to the side, just avoiding the swipe of a magical sword, a testament to the skill he had built up over the years. However, he simply wasn't fast enough to dodge the magical attack that came after. It froze him in place, the holy nature of the attack proving to be a poor match for his character and equipment design. He could only watch in frustration as an angel type appeared it front of him, wielding the magic sword that had nearly struck him before.

By the time he respawned, all was lost. His items stolen, the treasury sacked, and their glorious guild weapon destroyed for its parts. He could only stare in mute horror at what had become of his glorious home. All the memories, all the accomplishments, from twelve years of gaming with his friends to be the best, gone.

He watched with trepidation as an animation appeared before him, a last taunting message from the one who had destroyed everything he loved. Its colorful and hand drawn style kept his eye, the figures that were obvious parodies of him and his friends danced across his view.

"Hello~, I know how you must feel about this. Your friends worked so hard to build this place, and I just had to go and crush it ah~hahaha!" A beautiful, but falsely sweet female voice narrated over the video.

The animation showed his guild base being smashed to pieces by some large monster, too poorly drawn to identify. He was able to see in the background a group of players from his guild crying in an exaggerated manner. The message was clear, this monster wanted him to watch as it destroyed his base.

"Now, normally I would say it wasn't personal, but that would be lying. The anger and shame you must feel for being unable to protect what you cared about is the sweetest revenge. I know you probably don't remember who I am, let alone what you did to me, but I want you to know that I only waited this long because of how strong your guild is!"

The voice was right, he didn't remember. His guild was the epitome of good and righteousness, they never tried to wrong anyone and would try to make amends if they did. Unless it was an evil being.

"I would say I waited because revenge is best served cold, but I just wasn't strong enough to do this on my own until you were all alone! Well, it's been fun, but I have other guilds sack. So much to do and so little time to do it! This is goodbye, ta-ta~!"

With mocking laughter echoing as the video faded the player noticed a notification pop up as well.

*Notification! Unfortunately, your guild base has been conquered, and your guild weapon destroyed! Following the rules of the game this base will be returned to its previous state as a dungeon and all players present will be sent to the nearest town. A formal dissolution of guild status will be sent out to all members shortly. Better luck next time!*

With a primal rage the player screamed towards the heavens as all he loved disappeared.

Outside the former guild base, the player who had caused such a tragic seen laughed in pure amusement at the fate of her former tormenters. She watched as the last guild member was ejected from his home back to the town. She noticed that the player logged out in a furry, never to log back in. His future memories of the game forever tainted by this parting gift from an unknown adversary.

"Well, I think it's time to get going, there isn't much time left and he should be here soon." With that the player teleported away, off to the next abandoned guild for some mischief and fun.

* * *

*The Thrown Room of Nazarick*

Momonga sat upon the Throne of Kings, a symbolic gesture to the might and legacy of the guild he helped build. He looked down at the character sheet open before him. He had just changed the last line of code in Albedo's settings. Now, his Guardian Overseer would be forever in love with him. He had done it feeling bad for the NPC, he didn't feel right leaving her the way she was as an unrepentant slut.

However, he felt guilty. He felt bad about messing with his friend creation obviously, but mostly he felt like he was falling short of expectations placed on him. He didn't know why he felt this way, but it made him feel like he had to apologize. To whom he knew not. After all, he was still a wizard.

He heard a sound and looked up to see one of his closest and dearest friends approaching. With a quick burst of shame, like a teen hiding his porn mags, he closed the character sheet. "Ah, Veres-san. Are you back from your raids?" he asked the Nine Tailed Kitsune.

"Yup! I even got to say goodbye to some old acquaintances!" She replied energetically. She made her way over to the throne, the custom NPC mercenary that accompanies her when outside went to standby.

"I'm glad. We've had a lot of fun playing this game. It's a shame it has to end." He said, relishing in the dialog. As she grew closer he noticed her character design. Her anthropomorphic form was clearly that of a fox, with the narrow muzzle and snow-white fur covering every inch, and the paws grasping her scepter clearly inhuman. But, for some reason she had made sure there were enough features to recognize her as female at first glance; the gentle swell of a modest chest were a clear giveaway of her gender.

As she came to stand next to him he marveled at the holy radiance of her character. With a shrine maiden design, she was a harsh parallel to the evil and dark nature most of the guild went with. He almost felt like he was polluting her natural grace and beauty with the vile nature of his lich character. However, they fought together rather well, and stayed close together when they could. Of course, with the number of perverts in his guild, even as guild leader he couldn't get away from the jokes at their expense.

"Oi, is that the guild weapon?" She asked, pointing to the staff in his hand.

"Yes, I felt it was a waste to have never wielded it. It also seems like I wasn't the only one with parting wishes." He said, pointing to the world class item in the Guardian Overseer's hands.

"Well, there isn't much we can do about it. I really will miss this place though. I'll miss all the good times we had together here Momonga-kun." She said finally coming to a stand at his side.

"I wish HeroHero-san could have stayed to the end."

"Oh, did he stop by and visit?"

"He only had time to say goodbye. He is really worn down from his job. It's too bad that no one else was able to stop by for the end of the game."

"Eh~ they made their choice, and we made ours. I like that the two of us could stay together like this."

"It was really fun. If there is a YGGDRASIL II would you like to team up with us again."

"I would follow you anywhere mast- guild master."

The silence that enveloped the throne room was comforting as the two of them spent the few remaining minutes enjoying each other's presence.

"Ah Veres-san, did you pick up anything interesting in your raids?"

"No, the two of us working together the last few months was much more effective. I was able to get Ahura Mazda though."

"I see, so that is what you meant by old acquaintances."

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun burning that wretched place down." If they had moving facial features Momonga was sure she would have had an evil smile on her face.

"Honestly, you can be worse than Ulbert-san was." He said with fake exacerbation. In truth he cherished this side of his friend, the side that would wreak holy vengeance on anyone who hurt her or her friends.

"Ah~hahaha! What do you plan on doing once the game ends?"

"Well, I have work in the morning, so I will have to go to bed."

"That isn't what I meant. Do you want to organize a get together? Maybe a farewell party in the real world?"

"I would love to. Although it will be quite hard to get everyone together. Would you be able to come? You were never able to make the other meet ups before."

"Mm. I should be able to this time. There is something I want to talk to you about in person. I'm nervous about meeting you in person, but I should be fine." There was something off with the way she had worded her invitation, but he chose to ignore in these final moments.

As Momonga looked at his clock he noticed that it was the last minute before midnight. "Well, I guess there is only one thing left to do 'KNEEL'." With the command all the NPCs knelt before the throne.

To his surprise Veres knelt as well before crying out "AINZ OOAL GOWN, BANZAI!"

The mighty lord and ruler of the Grand Tomb of Nazarick gazed out upon the vast room. With his holy friend on one side, and a demonic servant on the other, the rule of the Overlord of Death in YGGDRASIL came to an end.

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"What is going on?!" Momonga cried out. He surged to his feet from the throne, completely flabbergasted by the situation. On his right he heard a strangled cry as Veres fell to the ground. He rushed to her side, desperate to help his friend. He instinctually reached out to help her up and was shocked to find he could touch her avatar.

"Are you alright!?" His changed voice surprised them both, and he became more aware of the strangeness of the situation as he looked at her. Her avatar was no longer rigid and fixed, he could see the emotion race across her face and watched her now very real fox ears twitch in anxiety. His rising panic suddenly vanished, leaving his mind calm. Judging by her tails as they thrashed around she was not so lucky.

"Yes, thank you. I tried to stand up, but I can't walk on these new legs." Her voice had changed as well, more fluid and a clear grace to it, she sounded like the divine creature she appeared as.

He looked down and saw that her legs weren't human anymore, but that of her character. A cursory glance down made it clear that he was now in his avatar as well.

"Is everything alright masters?" an unknown voice cut in. the both turned to the sound, only to be shocked further by the look of worry on the NPCs' faces.

"Are you alright Momonga-sama? Veles-sama?" They could now tell it was Albedo speaking. To see her mouth moving, to hear her speak, drove them further over the edge. As his emotions were once again suppressed, Momonga felt Veles cling to his side as best she could in her new body.

"[Message]"

Momonga tried to contact the GM with his skill but couldn't.

"The GM call function isn't working." He stated blandly, unable to say more.

"My apologies, but I do not know what this GM call function is, please help me rectify this mistake." The Guardian Overseer responded, sincerity clearly in her voice.

"Momonga, what is going on?" he heard Veres whisper in his ear, her panic was palpable.

"Sebas," he spoke. The NPC looked up to him, awaiting an order. It took him a moment to decide what to do.

' _Is it really okay to order the around? Will they even follow my orders?_ '

"Sebas, take a Pleiades with you and scout the surroundings of the tomb. Don't fight unless attacked; if so, fall back immediately."

"Understood." As the butler left he decided that keeping up appearances as the leader of Nazarick was important, so he continued to give out orders.

"The rest of the Pleiades are to guard the entrance from the eighth floor."

"Understood, Momonga-sama." The secondary leader, Yuri Alpha stated as she led her sisters out.

"Brynhildr, go and see if you can enter the mine. If you can, make sure its defenses are operational."

The mercenary angel type Valkyrie NPC looked towards her mistress as she clung to his side before responding. "Understood." She left swiftly to complete her mission.

"What would you have me do Momonga-sama?" The succubus overseer asked as she closed in on the two of them. She swiftly closed the distance before leaning in towards them, thrusting her chest out in the process.

Momonga noticed the thrashing of Veres' tails intensify at the close proximity of the NPC "St-standby Albedo, I will return soon." He swiftly teleported to his room with Veres still at his side.

"*Sigh*, Really, this is just too outrageous." Momonga said in the private of his own room.

A quiet sobbing reached his ears, only audible because of the enclosed space. He looked down to the rattling form of his friend who so desperately clung to him. He was shocked, at that moment it hit him like a freight train all that had changed. His excess emotions were gone because of his undead avatar, but his dear friend still had her emotions. Whatever had caused this change had broken her spirit. All he could do was slowly help her stand, albeit with his aid.

As he held her to his chest Veres continued to break down even further, her last vestiges of self-control gone within the comfort of Momonga's grasp. Her smaller frame continued to shudder as she cried into his larger frame. To try and sooth his friend he started to absently pet her head.

' _Her fur is really soft… No! what are you thinking out at a time like this!_ ' he tried to pull his hand away to spare his friend's dignity, but when she pushed her head further into his palm all he could do was continue to pat her. After a few minutes she had calmed down enough that Momonga thought she could speak.

"Will you be okay?" he asked quietly.

"I just need some time." Came her fragile response.

"Can you stand on your own?" With shaking legs, she tried to stand on her new vulpine limbs, but quickly fell back into his embrace. A curt shake of the head was all the confirmation he needed.

"Here, let me get you on the bed." Came his soft reply.

"What, no dinner first?" Her cracking voice showed that the humor was just there to help her grasp reality.

"You expect quite a lot from an evil overlord, especially coming from such a beautiful maiden within my nefarious grasp." He kept up the humor to ease her mind.

"What a scoundrel. I suppose that I must now join your harem, forever bound to service your vile needs." She replied, this time with actual mirth.

"heh heh, indeed. The hero has failed, and now the villain must take his spoils." He said as he gently put her on the bed. Once she was on the bed Momonga turned to leave but was stopped by a paw grasping onto the hem of his cloak.

"Please don't leave." Veres begged. It was clear that she was still very fragile and might break again.

"I'm sorry, but I need to figure out what is going on. I will be back within a few hours. If you need anything one of the maids should be able to get it for you." With that he pulled away from her grasp before teleporting away, unaware of his friend's inner thoughts.

Alone in the lavish room the harsh new reality once again hit Veres, and all she could do was curl up and stroke her tails. Their soft and plush feel keeping her thoughts grounded.

* * *

 ***Credit where it is due. I got the idea to use a Kitsune and have them sack empty bases from 'The 42nd Supreme Being'. Everything else will be mine, what with that one being so short. Please comment and review. Your opinion on what should be added *might* effect what I do. However, everything I am adding is for a reason. I don't want this to be some SI focused story, I want there to be a strong plot and plenty of emotions. I will say that Veres won't be normal, she is an Overlord woman after all.***


	2. Chapter 2

' _Well, glad to see that works._ ' Momonga thought to himself as he teleported back in to the throne room. He was referring to the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown, which had been forgotten in his panic, that floated gently next to the throne. He quickly sat back down on the throne. Calling the staff to him was thankfully easier than in the game, a mere thought and open hand all that was needed to beckon it towards him.

As his hand closed around the staff he could truly _feel_ its power and connection to him. It was truly awe inspiring to gaze into the depths of that power.

"[Status]" He commanded, hoping to see if anything had changed. When the harsh sound of an invalid game command sounded his worry started to resurface. If he no longer had access to his command window he had no control over his avatar; it had truly become his real body.

"[Open Master Source]" He then tried a command allowed as guild leader. Pushing his will into the Staff, he was happy to see a familiar holographic screen show up in front of him. While he was sure that many of the functions once allowed to the guild leader weren't available, he would now be able to see the status of many systems in Nazarick.

"Momonga-sama, is there some way for me to aid you?" He heard from in front of him.

' _Crap! I completely forgot she was here!_ ' He nearly jumped off the throne again in surprise. Thankfully, he was able to somehow keep calm when facing Albedo.

"Yes, please come here." The eager succubus dove towards him at his command, only stopping in front of him once she towered over him, ample breasts fully presented and face flush with excitement. He was taken aback by her forwardness before remembering what he had done to her settings. The shame quickly returned.

"Give me your hand." Once he had calmed down, he ordered her forward to try and tell if the changes to the player avatars extended to NPCs. As he had grasped her arm he was sure it was the same as the beat of her pulse resonated in his grasp. However, he let go of Albedo when he noticed her trembling arm and the flicker of pain on her face.

"I'm sorry, it seems that I forgot about a skill that is active." These were the only words of comfort he could provide for the NPC he had injured.

"No! Please do not mind my discomfort! Any pain I may suffer at your command is worth it!" The rapid response from Albedo surprised him, but not as much as what had happened.

' _Is it my passive ability? If so, why didn't Veres feel any pain? As a divine type it should have been excruciating for her, but instead she seemed to not want to let go. Is friendly fire off for just the NPCs, or is it something else?_ ' It took Momonga a few seconds to end the mental tangent before he responded. He couldn't dwell on it with all that he still had to do and so pushed on.

Once he had turned off his more dangerous passive skills he moved on in his testing, but he was nervous about what he wanted to test next. ' _Is it really okay to ask her that? She will say yes, but it just seems wrong. Well, I don't really have a choice, do I? There isn't any better way to test it that I can think of. I just need to ask naturally._ '

"Albedo, can I touch your chest?!" He asked. His panic once again surfaced when faced with her unreadable expression.

"You don't myo~ind do you?" His spirit withered upon uttering his request in such an emasculating way. The NPC didn't seem to care though as she thrust her ample bosom further into his face.

"Please feel away Momonga-sama!" The look of pure ecstasy on her face as he hesitantly started to grope her showed her growing arousal. Momonga wasn't looking at her though, his gaze was intently focused on her breasts as he grew more confident in his motions. He was soon lost in his own world, torn between the soft and full breasts he was feeling and his inner monolog. It wasn't until he felt a tremendous shudder in the palm of his hand did his focus return to the actual person whose chest he was fondling.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I got carried away." The look of orgasmic bliss on Albedo's face broke any will he had to continue tainting his friend's creation.

"You don't need to apologize! I live to service your every desire master! There is nothing you could do to this body of mine that I would be unhappy with!" The finality in her tone made him worry, he was now quite concerned about how she had been changed by his editing.

"I'm sorry Albedo, but it is improper for us to continue. Instead, I have a task for you to accomplish. I want you to assemble all the Floor Guardians, excluding Gargantua and Victim, in the sixth-floor amphitheater in one hour. I will teleport you to the third floor Guardian Room."

"Understood Momonga-sama." Her ability to return to her role as Guardian overseer impressed him, and he was glad to see that she was truly capable.

* * *

*Sixth-floor Amphitheater*

Momonga watched in fascination at the discourse among the Guardians. It reminded him so much of his lost friends that he couldn't bring himself to end the banter between them. He had spent the hour waiting for all the Guardians to assemble testing his magical skills. The mechanics were similar enough to YGGDRASIL that he was confident a little practice was all that was needed to return his skills. Many more of his abilities needed testing still though.

The called upon Floor Guardians trickled in slowly in the order Albedo had contacted them. It wasn't long before they were all present and the Floor Guardians, Sebas, and Brynhildr presented themselves to him. He was glad to see that they had at least superficial loyalty to him still.

"Wonderful! I can feel the loyalty of all your spirits! Now, the Great Tomb of Nazarick and the last guild members of Ainz Ooal Gown seem to have been caught up in a strange incident. Sebas and Brynhildr will report their findings to us so that we may decide the best course of action."

At his command the gentlemanly butler spoke first, describing the change to their environmental surroundings. The lack of hazards in the environment was strange to Momonga, and the lack of intelegent life made him more worried about the unknown than anything else.

"How curious, there are few places in YGGDRASIL with such terrain, and I am confident we aren't near any of them. I can now say with confidence that the Tomb and its inhabitants have been transported to a new world of some kind. Expand our area of surveillance and send out more scouting parties with the appropriate skills. Focus on speed and stealth. Once we are confident of no immediate major threats we can focus more locally. Does anyone have suggestions to help prevent any hostilities?"

"Uhm, we, we could hide the surface of the Tomb with dirt." The shy dark elf boy Mare spoke up to Momonga's surprise.

"You dare suggest we defile the Great Tomb!?" The bloodlust emanating from some of those present was palpable.

"Albedo, enough."

"I apologize Momonga-sama!" He was glad she reined herself in quickly, but was still upset it happened in the first place.

"Indeed. Mare, I leave the implementation of this task to you. However, you must make it look natural so that it blends in instead of making our presence more noticeable."

"Y, yes, Momonga-sama." The timid boy said, visibly elated to have had his idea help their Lord.

"Even with our strengthened defenses I expect all of you to remain alert. No, it is more appropriate to say that with such uncertainty we must be ready for anything." When he was confident the Guardians understood his intent, he turned to the other NPC with a report.

"Brynhildr, what is the status of the Prismatic Ore Mine that was under our control?"

"It has also been transported alongside us Momonga-sama. It is no longer in a distant location though, it is now a mine shaft in this realm with its entrance adjacent to Nazarick. In terms of its interior, all the locally spawned creatures as well as most of the undead laborers have become hostile to any outsider. The mercenary units put in place as commanders remain loyal, but don't have the numbers or strength to return it to operation."

"What about the contents of the mine?"

"Yes, it is physically identical to how it was before, but now any change to the structure becomes permanent. I hit a wall when fending off the spawns and the strike became visible. There was also no apparent refresh rate."

"Does it appear to have become an actual mine shaft that must be carefully dug?"

"It appears so Momonga-sama."

"That is quite the worrying situation. Cocytus, once your floor is secure take an appropriate force to clear out all the threats. We will need to take steps to reassert our control, so we may continue mining. Demiurge, you are to oversee organizing the necessary steps to get it operational again. After that we will need to study how to manipulate the ores with their changed properties. You have your orders, so I must now depart. Before I leave, I wish to hear your opinion of me from each of you."

* * *

"How. Amazing. So. That. Is. The. Presence. Of. A. Supreme. Being." The massive insect Guardian Cocytus said.

"Truly the bearing of the ones who created us." Came the smooth reply from the smartly dressed demon Guardian Demiurge.

"Right? It was super scary!" was the energetic reply of Mare's twin sister Aura.

"But, he, he was so nice to us earlier." Mare said, his soft voice missed by the other Guardians.

"Indeed, no other is worthy of ruling over us and controlling the Supreme Beings." Albedo said.

"Hm? Shalltear, are you all right?" Demuirge asked of the vampire Guardian who was still kneeling as tremors ran through her body.

"Ah~ Our Lord's presence was so great my underwear has gone through a crisis." The petite girl said erotically as she finally focused on the others.

"You Bitch!" The fury of the Overseer, who had just professed her love to the same man just moments ago, was nearly visible.

As the two women started to feud over their righteous claim to be the future queen of Nazarick the male Guardians started to slip away, hoping to avoid the quarrel. Sebas quickly excused himself under the pretense of attending their master, but the others couldn't depart so swiftly. They still needed the aid of the two females.

"However, it would be quite interesting to see." Demiurge said more to himself than anyone.

"What. Do. You. Mean?" Cocytus asked, unsure of his more intelligent counterpart's intent.

"Wouldn't you be interested in who wins Momonga-sama's favor?"

"What. Blasphemy. Do. You. Speak?!"

"I am talking about the future of Nazarick, don't you want do swear fealty to our Lord's offspring?"

"Mu! Amazing! How. Wonderful! I. Would. Be. An. Uncle!" As the icy Guardian wandered off in his own fantasy Mare's curiosity won over his insecurity.

"Bu, but, I, I don't think either have a chance." He stated hesitantly.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment as the attention of all present focused on the young boy. The hostility of the bickering females was now solely focused on him, as if in defiance of his claim of their unworthiness. Aura was shocked at her brother's forwardness, Demiurge was intrigued by this differing opinion, and Brynhildr looked on in mild curiosity at the sudden change in atmosphere. Cocytus was just confused.

"Hah?! Who else could be better for our magnificent Lord than a Guardian?!" Shalltear roared.

"I must agree with the lamprey. There are no better candidates then us." Albedo said calmly, a dangerous undertone in her voice promised great pain.

"Owah!? It, it's just th, that I heard Veres-sama f, fancies Momonga-sama!" The panicked boy cried as he tried to escape the attention. His words seemed to have the opposite effect as all present were floored by such implications. To think two Supreme Beings could be together was outside what any of them thought possible.

"When did you hear such an interesting thing Mare?" Demiurge asked, the only one present with the mental facilities to respond after such a surprise.

"I, I overheard Bukubukuchagama-sama speaking with Yamaiko-sama one time. Th-they said they wondered wh, when Veres-sama would confess her feelings to Momonga-sama. They seemed t, to know about her feelings from their 'Women's Intuition'. I, I don't know anything else!" Mare said as he shrank into himself. He was just glad to finally be free of the attention as the hostility died with his words.

"MARVOLOUS! I! CAN! THINK! OF! NOTHING! BETTER! THEN! SWEARING! LOYALTY! TO! THE! CHILD! OF! TWO! SUPREME! BEINGS!" Cocytus quickly lost control of himself upon thinking about such a scenario.

"T, true. I can't argue with that. I could never be equal to a Supreme Being in Momonga-sama's eyes." Shalltear said, a pained look of resignation on her face.

"But, would Momonga-sama even chose Veres-sama in the end? He may not return her affections." Aura commented, curious about the information her brother provided.

"No." Albedo spoke, just louder than a whisper. Her face was pale, twisted into a visage of horror. Upon being confronted with the possibility Albedo had no question about its realism. It had dawned on her that there was no way for her to be her beloved's only love.

"It may already be too late." Her quiet whisper continued. "When Veres-sama was distressed earlier Momonga-sama lost all interest in anything but her wellbeing." Her soft words and an affirmative nod from Brynhildr were all it took to persuade any naysayers to the love interest of their ruler.

"Well, I guess you can still try to gain Momonga-sama's affection. It is quite possible that even Veres-sama might be unable to satisfy the leader of the Supreme Beings."

"True! I just need to work extra hard to be recognized by Momonga-sama! It is fine even if I am just a mistress or meat-toilet! Being able to lay with two Supreme Beings would be even better if Veres-sama wishes it! Let us women work together to better our chances of being recognized!" Shalltear cried out towards her competitors turned sisters-in-arms. Aura seemed to want to say 'what can you do?' towards the overeager the more reserved Guardians, while Albedo was a ghastly white similar to Shalltear's complexion.

"Well, there isn't much we can do about it right now. If you wish to impress our Lord, you must first accomplish your tasks. I have much to do, so I must be off. Will someone also please get Cocytus? He seems to have wandered off." Demiurge said as he departed. Mare had already slipped away to complete his duties, happy to be out of the lime-light.

* * *

All of the NPCs soon departed to complete their duties, each going their separate way. Brynhildr also departed, although she had no destination yet. She hadn't been given orders and was thus unsure in what she should do. She didn't feel it would be appropriate to return to her mistress, she was in enough distress when she left for Momonga-sama's room. She could return to the mine, but wading through the mindless low tier monsters didn't appeal to her. Plus, she was conflicted.

She was loyal, of that she had no doubt. But she felt that her loyalty was to Veres-sama first and Nazarick second. She was also an angel type, so she was a little uncomfortable about the implications of her Holy Mistress loving an undead lord. The principle of such a union conflicted with her very nature.

Brynhildr was also different from the other NPCs, as she was classified as a Mercenary not a Base NPC. This meant that Veres-sama had very little impact on her settings, and she had been outside the Tomb before. She had even witnessed many fights with her mistress and other guild members fighting side-by-side. She respected the strength of Momonga-sama and understood her mistress' wish to follow him, but felt her loyalties ended there.

Making a decision, she headed for the exit of the Tomb. Her skills would be appreciated in defending against any attacks, and the fresh air would be nice. Hopefully a calmer atmosphere would also help her organize her feelings on the distressing information brought up by the Floor Guardians.

 ***Hello! I just want to say I am glad to see the positive reception I have gotten so far, as well as say a few things. This story will have its tone change quite a bit at times (the next chapter will be much more serious). It will have some bitter, some sweet, and maybe even some lemony flavors to it at times. It is rated M for a reason. I will try a couple things regarding mature content in the next few chapters to test the waters. Anything too raunchy won't show up for a while though. As always, please comment so that I can fix any mistakes and see what the reader wants.***


	3. Chapter 3

Veres laid still on the bed catatonically. It had been a while since Momonga left, but all sense of time was lost as she tried to cope with what had happened. At first, she tried to rationalize what was happening.

It was the launch of a new game, and their characters had been translated over.

The game was shut down, but they didn't log out properly and this was their mind coping with its disconnect from the real world.

No matter what scenario she thought up, each more outlandish than the last, they all seemed to fail.

Everything felt so real now, there was no way they were in a digital world. Like a heavy blanket had been pulled off, all the senses that normally got suppressed were now incredibly sharp. It was overloading. It wasn't the fact that everything felt real that was the most overwhelming though, it was that everything felt so _right_.

When she was in the throne room, her sense of smell had practically exploded. She had been able to smell the fragrance of perfume coming off the Guardian Overseer. It had been so sharp and clear, even when Albedo had to have been several meters away. When Momonga had gotten close to her she had smelt the slightest hint of a deep, musky flavor coming from him. It smelt like an earthly home, somewhere you can feel safe and relax after a long day, mixed with a stale, but sweet, fruity blend. She didn't know if it had been real, but she didn't quite care. It had been both intoxicating and had helped to calm her frantic mind.

She had tried to stand up in her panic, but everything was off balance. As Momonga had rushed to her side, she had instinctually leaned on him for support. When he had spoken to her it had sent an electric spark down her spine. His new voice had sounded so majestic and noble, like he was a dark knight there to defend her. So, she clung to the man who had done so much for her.

She had gripped onto his cloak with every ounce of strength, hoping to slowly rise with his aid, but it was like trying to turn a door nob with thick gloves. Just holding on had taken everything she had as she was overwhelmed by everything going on.

Escaping the expectant and focused gaze of the NPCs had brought new hope to her tattered psyche. When he had patently tried to help her stand, she could feel the sincerity in his actions. As she tried to stand, and failed, she felt like she was just learning to walk again. It felt like she was too weak and feeble to do anything for herself, and to have had Momonga see that made her feel pathetic.

But he hadn't cared about how worthless she was at that moment. He hadn't pitied her for the fact that she couldn't stand, he had instead let her try to stand on her own, only helping when she truly needed it.

He had humored her sarcastic banter and didn't let go of her. And when he had joked about claiming her as he set her on the bed her heart started to race, her body freezing as hope for such a future surged in her heart. To be thought of that way by him was the most joyful thing she had ever experienced, even if it was only meant jokingly between friends.

Momonga had always been there for her, he had even made staying in YGGDRASIL worth it. Even if he didn't know it, he had been one of the few to not pity her for her inabilities. He had instead made use of her skills, treating her like any other person.

When everyone else she knew or cared about had drifted away as she wallowed in self-pity, he had stayed, just treating her like normal. He had been what allowed her to pull herself back out of the hole she was in by staying at her side. And when he tried to leave, she hadn't wanted him to stay because she was scared, she wanted him to stay to be with her like he had been before.

But Momonga had left, and she wasn't delusional enough to imagine a trace of his fragrance or an echo of his voice when there was none. Her mind was once again cast asunder at the thought of the changes to her world. Eventually she just stopped thinking, too distraught and unstable to form a coherent thought. When her mind had finally decided to ignore the implications of all that was going on and her sanity started to return, her heightened senses slowly brought the world back in to focus.

She could feel the bed beneath her. With its clean, soft sheets and cloud like mattress, it was the most comfortable bed she had ever been on. As she focused her mind on the feeling of the bed, she took note of how it felt like there was a thin, form fitting under clothing over her entire body. It was like a thermal body glove, but that melded with her skin and didn't cling unnaturally to her body as it stretched and moved with her.

She eventually registered the sense of touch coming in from her limbs. Her limbs were too slender, her feet too small; it felt like someone had stretched and pulled her body out of the shape it was meant to be in. Eventually, she also realized that there was a sense of pressure coming from the base of her spine. It felt like it split into several strips before it went on much lower down than it should have.

' _What… is this?_ '

It dawned on her that what she was feeling was her new body. She finally pieced together the events in the throne room and truly accepted that she was stuck in her avatar.

This terrified her. It wasn't that everything felt different, but that different felt so damn good. Her new body felt like putting on a change of fresh clothes after a long, hot day paired with putting on new shoes that fit just right after wearing the wrong size for so long you forgot what it felt like. To feel so comfortable in a body so vastly different scared her beyond words.

Finally, tentatively, she started to look down at her body. Her eyes traveled past a slender, long shape in front of her face that she realized was now her muzzle. Past the black nose at the tip of her snout, she got a good look at her arms as they wrapped around her legs. They were definitely inhuman. The bicep was much thinner and shorter than a human's, and the forearm was also very different. With a longer forearm before leading to a much less pronounced wrist, she wondered how it even worked.

' _God, these are going to be so hard to use_.' She thought after looking towards her now outstretched hands.

Her hands, more like paws, were also different. She luckily still had five digits, but they weren't something she thought would be usable. Her four 'fingers' were much stubbier, with thick pads on the inner side and ending in blunt claws that were much more likely to catch on something than a regular nail. Her thumb was also very different with it being much less apposable.

After finishing her inspection of the new hands she needed to use, she looked further down towards her legs. She only briefly took note of the multitude of tails attached to her just above her butt, an errant thought the only notice to what she had spent her time holding and stroking in her earlier distress.

She froze.

What felt like tears slowly filled her eyes.

She was laying on her right side, so naturally her focus was on the side that rested on the soft bed.

But now, she was looking down her left side, more specifically at her left foot.

It was a digitigrade foot, similar to her 'hands' in appearance, leading one to think they worked more like a dog's legs than a person's. but that wasn't what she was noticing at that point, it was the fact that she had a left leg, and it _moved._

She sat up, trying to get a better view of the limb. Hands trembling, she slowly reached down her left side. By now her tears were falling freely, leaving matted tracks of darkened fur in their wake. Her hands came to rest on her knee, placed much higher on her leg than she was used to.

She lowly started to explore the area, feeling for any of the discomfort she was used to.

Ever so tentatively, as if afraid that it would all be an illusion, shattered by contact with her reaching hand, she moved farther down the leg.

Her tears had turned into shuddering sobs. She felt no angry scarring, no mangled limbs. She felt no hard metal against soft flesh where the artificial had once blended with organic. When she felt her foot, her crying turned into full blown wails. There was no cool metal, no phantom pains and ghostly feelings of her missing limb.

It was real.

As she stared intently at where her body had once been so broken, she noticed her left arm again. The lingering pains that had accompanied her for so many years were gone. Her once scarred limb, burned into a grotesque mockery of a normal arm, was perfect. Her hands left her legs, trying to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that her hopes were real.

They reached her neck, feeling along the lowest region she could reach over her kimono. There was no trace of the marks that had marred her side, just a full and rich scruff of soft fur. She cupped both sides of her face and traced around the base of her vulpine ears. Her hands couldn't stop shaking as they felt down the side of her face. She relished the feeling of symmetry her face now had. All the angry burn lines, jagged surgical scars from skin and tissue grafts, and permanent disfiguring one side of her face had had for so long were gone.

A fresh wave of tears streamed forth. She had spent years afraid of what her friends, what _he,_ would say upon seeing her. She had never been the prettiest, but her looks had been above average before the accident. That had been about a decade ago. A decade of pitying and condescending looks directed towards her, the scarred cripple.

She had truly invested in YGGDRASIL as a time killer when she couldn't walk, and it had pushed her back into social circles. She met new people and made lots of friends, but only in the digital world. She had become incredibly isolationist and reclusive after the accident and what happened after, so she had been too scared to actually risk judgement at a face to face meeting. The end of the game had spurred her on. The fear of never getting to meet the people she had come to call friends, to meet the man she had fallen in love with, had outweighed her fear of rejection.

But now? Now she could proudly look Momonga in the eye and say everything she wanted to say. The body that she had used more than her real one this past decade, the one he was familiar with, was designed to perfection. There were no blemishes or scars to mark her as someone different, someone to pity.

' _There isn't much I can do about it. There isn't much I WANT to do about it._ ' A wry smile formed on her face as she debated what to do. She decided on the simplest, and most fulfilling, solution.

She had decided, if this was her new reality then she would live it. If Momonga wanted to try and go home, she would follow. If he decided to stay, then she would be his staunchest supporter. No matter what, she would be true to the feelings and emotions she had. But more importantly, she would be there for him, for Momonga, when he needed it. After all he had unknowingly done for her, it was the least she could do in return.

Eventually, she relaxed on her own enough to fall asleep. She was still softly crying, but they were tears of joy. As she drifted off to sleep the only thought pervading her mind was this.

She was whole again.

* * *

Momonga walked slowly through the vast, empty halls of the ninth floor of Nazarick. After leaving the Guardians to their duties he needed to check on the eighth-floor defenses. He was sure of the NPCs' loyalty, but still felt it was necessary to make sure all the systems and safety measures were in working order. It payed to be prudent when a single mishap could kill him or cripple all of Nazarick.

The time was also useful for him to collect his thoughts. The views of the NPCs were extreme, and he didn't want to disappoint them by being just average. So he had spent his extra time trying to figure out how best to interact with his new subordinates. He also tried to figure out a way to explain everything to the only other Player and Guild Member he knew to be in this position, Veres.

The situation was just so extraordinary that he didn't know what to do or how to feel. Veres was experiencing it even worse without the 'benefit' of emotional suppression. He wasn't too sure how she felt about this personally as well. Would she want to go home and do anything to get there? Or would she want to stay with him, once they were sure of their own safety?

He didn't know, but hoped it was the latter, however unlikely it would be. He was sure she still had family, unlike him, and liked her job to some extent, unlike him. No matter what happened, he would support his friend, as he always had.

He headed back towards his room, stopping only to check on minor details or when he thought of something urgent that needed doing. That is when the Pleiades maids trailing behind him became useful. Frankly speaking, they were too weak to do anything against something that made it past the eighth floor, so he decided to put them to better use. Their presence had sped up his return to his room considerably, and as he had already spent several hours away from his distraught friend, he could only try to get there as soon as possible.

Momonga eventually made it back to his room on the tenth floor.

"Pleiades, you are dismissed. Return to your normal duties." He tried to dismiss the maids now that he no longer needed their service.

"Please allow us to refuse. If someone were to attack one of the last Supreme Beings, we must be present to through away our lives for you. It is also our duty as maids to service our master. That is our only purpose, and we cannot do that if we aren't present." Yuri said. Although the others didn't verbally respond, it was quite clear in their posture that they agreed.

"Very well, you shall remain here. If I have need of you I will call you in. Unless it is Albedo with a report, or an absolute emergency, do not allow anyone to enter." Giving them permission to guard him was the best he could do in the situation.

He hurried inside his private room, past the main foyer cum office to enter the bedroom.

' _She really does look divine._ ' If anyone could see his face, they would say a soft, gentle smile somehow graced his polished skull.

He could only think that, even in her sleep, his friend looked every part the divine creature her avatar portrayed. She had fallen asleep at some point, stretching out from the curled-up position she had been in to a more comfortable position. The dried tracks showed she had been crying, but she appeared to have finally relaxed. He marveled at the radiant glow of her form for a while before choosing to leave her in peace.

He made his way over to the spacious for poster bed, where he gently picked her up. He princess carried her, an easy task with the stats of his avatar, to the head of the bed before gently tucking her in. Once he was sure she was in a comfortable position, which was surprisingly difficult given her multitude of tails, he pulled the covers up so that she could sleep well, then slipped out of the quiet room.

He stayed in the office adjacent to the bedroom, reading reports and performing experiments as he patiently waited for his friend to wake up.

 ***Well, that was quite emotional to write. If you know or meet anyone who has been injured like this, don't pity them, help the stand back up and move forward. Please comment and review, I am trying to find the balance between a realistic and compelling backstory that will fit Veres' actions and personality. As you may have noticed, unless it's important to a plot point or is significantly changed in some way I will skip scenes from the anime/LN to save time.***


	4. Chapter 4

Veres slowly woke up from the light of the surrounding room. As she sat up in the bed she yawned. Her maw opened much wider than any human could ever think possible, revealing a mouth full of predatory teeth. In her sleep addled state she didn't notice the fact that the room she was in wasn't her own.

' _I need coffee.'_ Still too groggy for higher brain function, she started about her morning routine. She blindly reached towards the side of the bed, fully expecting to feel her prosthetic on the night stand. It was only after a few seconds of uncoordinated searching did she open her eyes to find the errant tool.

When she opened her eyes they quickly widened at the sight of a lavish room. She felt that the room was familiar, so assumed it was some high-end hotel she had been to before. Hoping that she had just forgotten the prosthetic in her fatigue the night before, she swung her feet over the side of the bed. With pressure coming from both legs as she set her feet on the floor, she figured she did and was ready to start her day.

With a mighty heave she surged to her feet, hoping the momentum would carry her towards the dark ambrosia she desired, only to…

* _Yip!*_

She had crashed to the floor with a sound she wasn't used to making as her nose contacted the floor much sooner than she expected.

' _Owww. What a great way to start the morning. Face, meet floor.'_ As she processed the fact that the floor was still very hard, as it had always been, she thought through all the reasons she might have fallen.

' _Prosthetic? I felt both legs meet the ground, so check. Vertigo? No, I am actually feeling pretty good this morning, other than the pain in my muzzle. Wait…'_ She finally started to recall that she wasn't in her bedroom, she was in Momonga's room in Nazarick.

She had fallen to the floor because she wasn't used to the balance of her new legs. When she had stood up there was too much weight on her back side, so she had rocked forward to correct it. Only, with the rather small paws her feet had become, the correction had pushed her too far forward, so she had fallen right onto her extended muzzle before she could brace herself.

With some effort, she was able to get onto her hands and knees.

' _This just seems wrong._ ' The position wasn't comfortable, perhaps with her upper body too elevated to be relaxed. After thinking it through, only one position made sense with her new limbs. She shifted her legs until her hind paws were supporting her back side. The position made sense and was easy to hold, plus she was pleased to have made real headway in moving under her own power.

' _Ah. Those would do it._ ' She was, of course, thinking about the group of tails that had started to gently wag at her success. It wasn't to hard to figure out they had been a big part of her off balance stance. Looking behind her, she was able to see the layout of the room, and if she didn't have fur covering her face she would have turned beat red.

' _I'm really glad Momonga isn't here to see this. Or Peroroncino._ ' Indeed, if Momonga were to walk in he would have seen her in a rather suggestive stance with her on all fours, butt raised into the air facing the door, as her tails visibly wagged. The privacy in her state was very welcome.

' _I have to do something, and if I've decided on figuring out these legs on all fours first_ _ **that**_ _form would probably be best._ ' It was logical, you needed to crawl before you could walk, and her body structure was based more closely on a four-legged animal.

When she had relearned to walk after her accident, she had had walkers and crutches available for support alongside physical therapists. Now, she didn't have any of those things on top of her completely different body structure. She would have to truly start from scratch.

However, her current body was still meant to walk on two legs, so starting over might be uncomfortable in this form. As a Kitsune, she had multiple forms. It's more appropriate to say that with her investment in certain racial and job classes she had two additional 'forms' separate from the base avatar.

This wasn't uncommon for many heteromorph species to be able to do. However, she had instead used these forms to be a focus for certain skills or traits, so that she had each 'form' be specialized for certain jobs.

It wasn't perfect. In the end, each of her specialized forms was weaker than a build dedicated to any specific job or load out. But, she was very flexible in her skills. This meant that she could move around a battlefield and fill in holes or supplement strike teams in a wide array of situations.

This was sorely needed in a guild like Ainz Ooal Gown. Almost every player in the guild had become intensively specialized based on their race and job. This led to them occasionally getting stuck in a situation with need for specific skills and no one had them. With her wider array of skills, Veres was able to help solve a problem or buy enough time for a solution to come about.

All of this led to a build that was incredibly useful in the Guild, PK, and PKK battles they often found themselves in, but still had its own short comings. There was little chance for her to win in a 1 on 1 fight against a dedicated fighting character. Against someone like Momonga she would have to ambush him before swiftly finishing him off while using plenty of items and luck. If he were to have time to summon undead, especially strong or useful ones like Death Knights, all she would be able to do is to flee with all her strength or (most likely) die trying.

The form she was trying to take was her self-impacting magic focused form, as it had some useful traits that would come in handy at that moment. It wasn't her preferred form, it was just more practical when she was trying to learn how to walk.

' _Now how exactly do I transform?'_ She thought to herself. In the game, it was a selectable command on her command window that made her transform. But when she thought about what she wanted her body to do, and what the form looked like, she started to shift.

It didn't hurt, it just felt like stretching out unused muscles as her body changed shape. Her body started to shrink, and her nine tails fused into one that fit her body size. Her kimono, and all of her items, eventually disappeared in a flash of gold light as they disappeared, probably into her inventory.

' _I'm going to have to figure that out later._ ' She had no idea how her inventory worked now, but it was just another thing to worry about later.

Eventually, what stood there next to the side of the bed, in an underground tomb, in her friend's private room, was a small grey fox. It looked like an ordinary grey fox, with only a silver sheen and snow-white highlights being indicators that it was a magical creature instead of a normal animal.

' _Well, this isn't too bad. It's reassuring to know that some of my abilities work._ ' As she inspected her new form with a twisting of her now very flexible neck, she decided to try and walk.

' _All right, let's try walking._ ' Happy that her body was in working order, she hesitantly started to move her legs. However, she quickly realized that remembering the gait needed to walk properly would be impossible, and it wasn't long before her legs were going in every direction and she was about to fall again.

' _Okay. Deep breaths. I'm just over thinking this, my body should know the gait, I just have to get it started.'_ It took her some time, but she was able to walk slowly on her own without always stopping to untangle her paws. She still couldn't run though. Anything faster than a slow walk and the natural gait changed so much, it would be like trying to ice skate using scuba flippers.

' _Good'nough._ ' She could work with what she had though. Figuring she had spent enough time trying to not fall on her face while waiting for her friend to show up, she decided to start figuring out what was going on.

Making her way over to the open doorway, she slipped out of the room, only to be taken aback by the feeling of walking through a film. On the other side of the threshold the sound of voices speaking could be heard. Walking cautiously towards the noise she soon entered into a large office space, where she saw Momonga and Albedo going over reports on the state of Nazarick.

"Ah, you woke up. I guess I'm not too surprised to see you like that." It was a slightly disconcerting sight to have a bare skull turn and face you, and Veres stopped in her tracks as the flaming pits that were his eyes focused on her small frame.

' _Yep, that definitely happened._ ' The imposing yet attractive new voice of her also changed friend affirmed in her mind that what she remembered happening, ' _Was it yesterday?'_ , had happened.

* **Yip!** * ' _What has been going on?_ ' she tried to speak, but only got a noise you would expect from a fox.

"Hm? Oh, you probably can't speak in that form. Here, let's try this. [Message]"

"[What has been going on?]" Veres asked again, relieved she wouldn't have to transform to speak. Learning how to use one form was hard enough already.

"You fell asleep before I got back, so I left you to sleep. I have just been trying to ascertain the situation in the meantime. I can now say with near absolute certainty that this is a completely different world." Momonga spoke out normally. He could be understood clearly, while Veres' voice seemed to echo in his mind.

"Momonga-sama? What manner of creature is that?" Albedo asked. She was confused as to why her master would start talking to such a lowly creature. She didn't recognize it as an NPC and it didn't seem strong enough to be of any threat or use.

"That is Veres. Well, one of her forms." He said pointing to the small fox. Albedo was floored. She looked like just a small, wild animal that would be more at home outside the tomb or in the sixth-floor jungle instead of her master's private room.

"[Can she not hear me speaking with the Message?]"

"No, the Message spell only seems to work with a target person."

"[That's good to know. Here, I'll try something.]"

" _[Message]_ " Casting the spell herself seemed to function along the same lines as her transformation. Enough willpower, mixed with focus on the intended effect, seemed to be enough to work properly.

"[Hello there, Albedo.]" When her spell had connected with the Guardian Overseer Veres decided it would be best to confirm Momonga's statement herself. Albedo's eyes widened, and a panicked expression crossed her face as she realized the she had been thinking a Supreme Being was a lowly beast.

"My apologies, Veres-sama!" Veres was rather surprised to see the NPC start genuflecting before her. She had expected a courteous tone from their loyal followers, not them prostrating for the slightest perceived insult.

"[No, you're fine. I never walked around Nazarick in this form, so you not recognizing it is to be expected.]" She replied, becoming slightly amused by the tone her new minion was taking.

' _Where did that come from?_ ' The thought of the NPCs as minions was both sudden and unusual.

"*Ehem.* Albedo, would you please leave us, so we may have some privacy?" Momonga finally cut in with a faked cough.

' _How's he even doing that without a throat?_ ' Veres became mystified by the functionality of his new body. It shouldn't be possible for a skeleton to be moving around, and any sounds beyond the clacking of bones should've been impossible.

"Understood, Momonga-sama." With a mournful look on her beautiful face Albedo reluctantly left her masters in private. A pointed look from Momonga, and the eight Edge Assassins on the ceiling followed her out.

"[Soooo, what's been going on?]" Veres asked Momonga, turning towards him once they were alone.

"It appears that Nazarick, and everything inside it, have been transferred into a real world. You probably noticed, but the NPCs have all come alive, with their personalities being shaped by their settings."

"[Where's Nazarick? Is it still in Helheim?]"

"No, we're now in the middle of a wide-open plain. The environment is rather sedentary, with only small animals and grass for miles around. We've yet to find any sentient life or evidence of civilization."

"[That's different. It almost seems like a normal world. Is Nazarick itself still the same?]"

"For the most part it's still operating the same way. Our control over its functions are reduced, but over all very little has changed. Thankfully, all the NPCs appear to be loyal so far."

"[What about the Eighth floor?]"

"Everything seems to still be secure there. No one has entered or exited it without my permission, and I have activated the bypass measures, so the NPCs can move around it." Momonga reassured his friend, who was starting to show her discomfort at the thought of that floor causing problems.

' _Well, at least the NPCs shouldn't try to randomly kill me._ ' Veres visibly relaxed. Her shoulders seemed to slump down and her tail fell limply to the floor. The relief she felt after hearing that was a great weight off her shoulders.

"Our abilities appear to be the same as well, there are some obvious changes, and we no longer have the console interface for control, but things are generally the same. Oh, and Friendly Fire can now happen, or at least in some way. I accidentally injured Albedo with one of my passive skills earlier."

"[That would make sense. If this is a real world than everything should function more like it would in real life.]"

"We are still taking stock of everything. Most of the reports have been about taking inventory of everything, as well as recording what still works the way we are used to. Our supplies are pretty abundant. All of the raiding the two of us did on other guilds towards the end really filled up the coffers with gold and low-level consumables. It will take years for us to actually go through any significant amount of it, so we can focus more on figuring out where we are and what exactly is going on instead."

"[Basically, intelligence on our situation is the highest priority, and we can take our time figuring out new ways to get resources.]"

"Yes. By the way, you seem to be handling all this rather well."

"[Honestly, I'm just ignoring ninety percent of what is going on so that I don't constantly break down. I'll sort through everything as I can, but I really don't want to think about it right now. Is there anything else I should know about?]"

"Yes, the mine came with us." At being told this Veres visibly perked up. Her ears erect and her posture tense, it was quite obvious she wanted to know what he meant.

"I sent Cocytus to clear it out. Most of the low-level spawn monsters and undead laborers turned hostile towards us. The Mercenary spawns that were put in control were overwhelmed, so Cocytus went to clear them out."

"[Does this mean they rebelled? Can other NPCs rebel?]" The situation would be much more dangerous if that could happen.

"No, so far all the monsters that are fighting against us were incredibly low level and usually mindless. It's more like their agro settings reset and they're treating everything as hostile. The Nazarick spawns don't have this problem and all of the NPCs seem to be fanatically loyal."

"[I guess we can live with that. It's just scary to think of our own creations trying to kill us.]"

"I know. But we can't worry about that right now. You've been out for most of a day, so we've gotten pretty far in figuring most of these problems out. Right now, you need to figure out how to use your powers and learn how to walk. I think it be good for you to get out of this room and practice. If you need any help, I'll be here working."

"[That sounds pretty good. There's some stuff I want to do myself. Umu, can you get the door for me?]" Veres asked as she headed for the door the NPCs had left through earlier.

"Of course." Momonga got up from the large desk and moved over to the door. He pulled it wide open, drawing the attention of the maids who seemed to be guarding the other side of the door.

"Pleiades, I have a job for you. One of you must take care of and guard this creature on its way to the sixth floor." The maids then shifted their attention to the small animal peaking out from behind their master's robes.

"Uwah…" With that cute sound the maid Delta scooped up the fluffy creature in her arms and started to cuddle with it.

"[Oi! What are you doing you bastard?!]" Veres could only cry out over the Message as Momonga slipped back into the room, leaving her to her fate.

' _God damnit! I'm not a stuffed animal!_ ' She could only mentally cry out as the maid carried her off. She could have just Messaged the maid and told her to put her down, but she was too busy cursing the name of a skeleton who was most definitely laughing his bony ass off at her misfortune.

* * *

* **Comment on what you think of my introduction to Veres' abilities. Overlord characters are the definition of OP but are generally internally consistent and balanced. I've been trying to do this, and I'll introduce the basics of her powers over a few chapters. It will be a longer period than its been so far before the next chapter because I have been procrastinating on work in real life, so it has built up considerably. I should have another chapter by the end of next weekend, hopefully sooner.** *


	5. Chapter 5

Veres sat quietly in Shizu's grasp. She could have asked to be put down, or just escaped, but didn't feel it was worth the trouble just yet. She couldn't use any items in this form, so she had relied on the maid to avoid any traps. They had taken the long way up to the sixth-floor, per Momonga's orders, so that Veres could have some space to practice her skills and magic.

As they exited the sixth-floor teleportation gate, Veres made her move. She leapt from the arms of the maid and clumsily landed on the ground. She then took off at the fastest pace she could manage through the winding corridors of the amphitheater. It wasn't long before she had managed to find the exit.

The view took her breath away. Before her was a vast forest that seemed to go on forever. The bright sun and the gentle breeze made it hard to believe she was underground. She didn't pause for long though, as she could hear the maid searching for her after she made her getaway.

She took off into the jungle with no destination in mind. As her thoughts started to go over everything that had happened, her body started to move on its own, her instinctual knowledge kicking in. She slowly started to unconsciously increase her pace until she was running all out.

'* _giggle_ * _This is amazing! This is what it means to be free!'_ As she noticed what she was doing, she could only laugh at her newfound freedom. For years she had been unable to be so active. Now, she was running through a beautiful forest full of life.

Eventually, she came to a stop at the small lake that was on the floor. She dove into the small grassy plain that bordered it, frolicking through the grassy terrain without a care in the world. Everything else faded away, the panic at her situation, her feelings, everything. She just basked in the glorious feeling of living in such a beautiful place.

This wasn't something she could have enjoyed in Japan. The nature preserves with any appeal were few and far between, and were much more public. Even if it was a fake world, something she had helped create, she could feel why Blue Planet enjoyed nature so much by looking at the peaceful environment.

She finally came to rest, just sitting down and enjoying the feeling of a soft breeze through her fur in the warm sunlight. She was surprised when some time later Shizu and Aura showed up. She didn't make any movements as she was picked up again by the maid, instead choosing to be an observer for what was going on.

"Is that the creature you were sent here with Shizu?" Aura asked. She had been accosted by the maid after she lost the creature she had come to the floor with.

"…Mn." came the curt response from the maid.

"I don't recognize it. Do you know what kind of beast it is?" Aura was genuinely curious, and it showed on her face. It wasn't every day she got to see a new creature, and she was interested in the thing that Momonga had cared enough about to send with a Pleiades. She found it strange though, it was so unassuming as it sat there in the maid's arms.

"…No."

"Well, can I take a look at it? Maybe I'll be able to think of something." Aura asked innocently, more interested in sating her curiosity.

"…Mmm." Her expression hadn't changed, but it seemed she was upset by the words of the Guardian.

"Relax, I won't take it from you. I just want a better look." Aura said defensively.

"…Mn." She finally consented with a short nod.

Aura got closer to the small creature. Its general shape reminded her of one of her pets, Fenrir. However, it didn't seem particularly magical or strong.

"Uwah?!" As she leaned in, she suddenly leapt back.

"S, Shizu, why are you carrying Veres-sama!?" Aura was flabbergasted by the realization that it was a Supreme Being the maid was carrying.

"…Mn?" Shizu's face remained rigid, only a slight tilt of her head showing her confusion before she glanced down at the animal in her arms.

' _Well, that's to be expected. She is a dedicated ranger class after all._ " Veres wasn't too surprised that Aura had realized it was her. Her current form had a lot of stealth attributes and a low agro/detection profile, making it incredibly difficult to be noticed by enemies from afar. But, without a dedicated build and items anyone with reasonably high detection skills would realize that she was a level 100 player if they got close to her.

' _[Message]_ ' Deciding that her fun was over, she messaged the two NPCs.

"[Very good Aura, I am glad to see that your skills are sharp.]"

"Ah, Veres-sama, what are you doing? And why are you being carried around?!"

"…Mn!?" Shizu was so shocked to learn that what she had been cuddling for quite some time was one of her masters that her eyes widened a fraction of an inch.

"[I'm just here to practice my skills. As for why I am being carried, Momonga thought it would be a good idea.]" She jumped down from the arms of the maid so that she was standing in front of the two.

"[Now that I am here, there is something I could use your help on. I wish to practice many of my magical skills, and this forest is a good place to do so. What I want is for us to play a little game. I will go off, and then you two will try to catch me. Aura, you can't use any of your beasts. I'll let you know when we stop if you can't catch me]"

"Really, is that okay?!" Aura asked. To chase down a Supreme Being was a little…

"[Yes, it's fine. I need the practice and it would be good experience for you two.]" With that Veres sauntered off into the underbrush of the nearby forest, leaving the two NPCs. It seemed like they understood her intentions as they both waited for her to truly disappear while they strategized together.

Soon, she activated some of her form's magic, and ghosted into the forest like a cool wave of moonlight before disappearing completely.

* * *

Veres stalked along the tree branch she was standing on. Below her she could see Aura trying desperately to pick up her trail again. She had lost the Guardian several times now, and was trying to set up an ambush to end their practice. So far, she only had been able to barely escape the two NPCs several times.

She knew escaping Aura was going to be possible if she stayed at range. Veres' illusion magic could hide her well from afar, but Aura was a dedicated ranger with a keen familiarity of the territory. Add in the fact that Veres was getting used to using her skills and magic, and had messed up several times, and she had let Aura get close enough to sense her several times.

Escaping Shizu had been an unexpected challenge as well. While not very high level, as a gunner she had a lot of detection and observation skills. She also had range, and had seemingly locked on to her signature at times, so that if she ever noticed something she could tell Aura where to go. This made escaping the two in tandum incredibly difficult.

Finally, she pounced. She didn't use any magic or special skills, she just tried to mimic the actions of an every day animal. Aura was caught completely off guard. She had detected an animal, but thought it was one of the floors residents and hadn't expected it to attack.

With her incredible agility she leapt away, but realized only too late she wasn't the target. Veres had been targeting Shizu in the ambush. Without her help Aura would have a significantly harder time on her own and would make it easier for Veres to stay at range.

"[Maximize Magic - Holy Surge]!" Veres cast her spell, and the maid was sent flying. It wouldn't actually injure her significantly, but it was clear who the winner was.

"[I think that's enough for now, wouldn't you agree?]" She called out, grabbing the two NPCs attention. They both quickly arrived in front of her and knelt.

"[You don't need to kneel. This was just some training between comrades. We must all strive to improve our skills to better protect our home.]"

""Yes, Veres-sama!"" The two stood up, but kept their heads lowered.

"[Let this be a lesson for you. The two of you together should have had no problem catching me. However, you focused too heavily on what you expected. You expected me to use an illusion or magical skill again, but a smart enemy will change up their tactics so they aren't predictable. That is why you missed me at the end when I was pretending to be an animal, and why you didn't notice I was going for Shizu. I changed my focus and you both suffered for it.]"

""Understood."" With a sharp bow the two took her criticism of their performance, before they started to walk back to the amphitheater. They stopped just outside the massive colosseum.

"[Now, I am heading back to the tenth floor. Aura, return to your duties.]"

"Thank you very much for training us Veres-sama!" Aura then disappeared in the blink of an eye as she sprinted away.

"[Shizu, follow me.]" Veres then turned away from the beautiful scenery of the sixth floor and headed for the entrance to the seventh floor.

"…Mn." The maid followed along dutifully, but Veres felt a sense of disappointment coming from her.

"[Haaah~, I guess its fine. Shizu, please carry me back to Momonga's room. I'll be in your care.]"

"Mn!" The maid was quick to return to snuggling her soft form once Veres had given her permission.

' _Ah, she really is adorable._ ' Veres could only mutely stare at the demure smile that graced Shizu's doll-like features.

* * *

Momonga stood in front of a large mirror, Narberal quietly standing to the rear. In his hand was a longsword. His strength made it child's play to swing around, but when he struck an imaginary blow it clattered to the ground.

"[Create Greater Item]" He was covered in a flash of magic as he created a suit of full plate armor. When he then tried to swing the sword again, a shockwave buffeted the large cloak on his back as the swing struck its imaginary foe.

"Hm? Enter." He was interrupted from his experimentation by a knock on the door. He swiftly dispelled the armor before whoever walked in could notice.

He was surprised when the Shizu walked in with Veres still in her arms. Her small animal form seemed full of pride as she was carried around, completely opposite of what he expected from his usually reserved friend.

After Shizu had fully entered the room Veres gracefully leapt from her arms. He now understood the oddity Albedo had experienced earlier as Veres seemed to say something to Shizu before she quietly stood to the side with the other maid.

"[Message]. You seem to be in good spirits." Momonga stated as Veres sauntered towards him, her walk much smoother then it had been when she left.

"[Yes. It was very fun to let loose, I think I could get used to this body.]"

"Hah! Don't get too comfortable, you still haven't learned how to use your other two forms yet right?" He lightly teased. She seemed to be frustrated by the prior experience in her other forms as she huffed and turned her head away.

"[Yeah, well maybe you can be **that** form's chew toy for a while. I'm sure we could benefit from it.]"

"Ah, hehe." He could only laugh awkwardly while hoping she was joking. That form was technically her true self as a celestial beast, and it had been terrifying in YGGDRASIL. How terrifying would it be to see in real life?

"[Maybe it'll be what you deserve for earlier. Anyways, can you help me practice walking on two legs? I want to get some food and I don't want to eat out of a bowl.]"

"Y, yes. I'll do what I can." He walked over to the open part of the room where Veres sat. He was very curious to see how her transformation took place. It had been instantaneous in YGGDRASIL with a flash of light, but would it be the same here?

He watched intently as her form started to ripple. He watched her body grow and extend into its bipedal form. It was fascinating to see what her body really looked like.

Her head shifted until it looked like what he expected. The neck pivoted and reshaped until it was more human-like. He noticed the minimal change in her slender limbs, the vulpine base still obvious.

Her shoulders thinned out until they could be called feminine. Her ribs flattened out from a barreled form to a more human shape. On her chest a pair of modest C cup breasts rose up. They were covered in short, fine hair that blended with the rest of her coat apart from the dark nipples that stood perky at their peaks.

Her naval stayed thin and lean, and the hips flared outwards, but not as much as a human's. Instead they remained slightly forward cocked, so she would have to lean slightly forward when standing to balance right, as well as make being on all fours more comfortable. Her entire body was covered in soft-looking fur. Most of it was short, while areas like her neck and parts of the legs had a moderate fluffy scruff.

When he saw a soft pink slit, not masked by bushy fur or hair, between her legs he realized he messed up. Her inhuman form made him forget that she was still a woman, and now she was naked in front of him.

"S, Sorry!" he clumsily turned around, his robe flailing behind him.

"How, how does the inventory work?" Veres whispered.

"Ju, just imagine a void as you reach out in front of you. Everything should kind of click after that." His embarrassment was noticeable, even with his undead constitution. For a few agonizing minutes the only sound was the occasional flash of magic as she figured out how to work her inventory and put her clothes on.

"You can turn around now." Slowly turning around, as if afraid she wasn't dressed yet.

It felt like something was stuck in his non-existent throat as he looked at her. She sat there, legs partially folded beneath her, demure expression on her face as she looked away from him, tail tips twitching. Heat roiling in his phantom gut, a feeling rose within him that he hadn't experienced since becoming an undead.

"Sorry. I'm really sorry. I didn't expect you to lose your clothes." After a lame pause he could only apologize profusely, wishing to seiza and push his head to the floor.

"It's fine." Her tone suggested she wasn't too upset.

' _Ho-ho. It's fine. But! Is it really?! Your twitching tails say otherwise._ ' Momonga could only pray for forgiveness one day in his heart.

He had unfortunately mistaken her twitching for a sign of irritation or anger, like a cat. He didn't realize it had been Veres suppressing their desire to wag at the thought of him staring at her with such love and adoration in his gaze.

"Can you help me up now? I think I can try walking." She asked, focusing back on him in her best attempt to push past the previous incident.

"S-sure." He reached down for her as she grasped onto his arm. Pulling herself up, she was able to steady herself on her new legs as Momonga supported her weight. Keeping hold of his arm, Veres started to walk forward slowly, every step difficult to keep her balance.

Eventually, she grew more confident, only needing support when she tried to do anything too quickly. She still held on though.

The two maids stood silently, watching with baited breaths and barely schooled features at the idyllic scene of their masters arm-in-arm, like a groom leading his bride forward into their new life.

"You seem to be getting it. Would you like to go outside for a walk?" Momonga asked. He was eager to get away from it all for a while and was sure Veres would want to as well.

"Sure." She too was eager, but was surprised when his magic flashed and he became covered in full plate armor.

"Why the get-up?" Her head cocked, curious to know why he would try to change his appearance.

"It would be nice to not be disturbed on our walk, if we need to we can just teleport back."

"Makes sense, here." He watched as her form shimmered. She had applied an illusion, turning her appearance into a basic human ranger. The forest green tunic and brown leather armor were well made, but bland in design, and a hood was pulled up over her head. A black cowl covered the lower part of her 'face', masking her appearance completely.

"Please wait! It is unacceptable for us to allow our Supreme Beings to not have a guard. If an assassin makes an attempt on your lives, we wouldn't be there to throw away our lives for you. It would be unacceptable to lose the last Supreme Beings."

Narberal spoke, full of conviction. Shizu didn't comment but seemed to agree with small nods of her head. They understood the maids' sentiment, but didn't want anyone to disturb them. That was the whole point of going outside.

"We will not be going anywhere, just to the surface above Nazarick. I'm sure the security net is more than capable of protecting us." Momonga responded hastily, eager to get away. With a brisk nod from Veres, they teleported away using their rings before the NPCs could stop them.

 ***No, Veres won't ever be able to turn into a human. I personally would find it cheap and out of context for Overlord for either of them to change race. They have become monsters, and Overlord is very in your face at times about the fact that Ainz is slowly losing his humanity, and therefore his moral and belief structure are changing. Also, oops**. **I noticed I changed her name from Veles to Veres accidentally partway through XP. Veles is a Slavic god, but I like Veres more so I will keep it.***


	6. Chapter 6

Momonga walked through the Mausoleum on the first floor, Veres trailing in step behind him. As they came up the last flight of stairs leading to the outside world, the two froze. Before them was a menagerie of high level NPCs who typically served on much higher floors.

The Seven Sins who served as Demiurge's lieutenants, several insectile monsters from the frozen waste of the fifth floor, and even a few beasts who served under Mare. As one they all turned towards the two masked intruders, then knelt.

The two were surprised, they had expected the Guardians to take security seriously, but this seemed a bit much. They were pulled out of their stupor when Demiurge sauntered up before immediately kneeling as well.

"Masters. What are you doing in such a dangerous place without bodyguards?" The demon asked, a devilish glint in his eyes.

' _Mu! What do we tell him? If we're not careful he'll insist on an escort. I want us to be alone!_ ' Veres was pulled out of her inner ranting by Momonga's steady voice.

"I trust I don't need to explain to you Demiurge?" Momonga said with a surprising amount of confidence.

' _Explain my ass! What the hell is he talking about? It's not like this is part of some elaborate plan._ ' Veres was glad her illusionary face was masked, she was sure it might have shattered from how far her jaw would have dropped in sheer confusion at Demiurge's response.

"Ah. So that is what you intend. However, it is still unacceptable for me to allow our esteemed rulers to go about without a guard. Please allow this humble servant this luxury." Veres turned to Momonga's large frame in hopes of gleaning something from it, only to be disappointed when he recoiled at Demiurge's response. It seems as if he had been bluffing and was now scrambling to come up with a coherent reply.

"We, well. Very well. However, only one may accompany us, we don't wish to be disturbed." Momonga carried on, hoping to appear confident to his subordinates. Veres was just happy to be in the back, able to follow his lead.

As the exited Nazarick, they took to the skies. Flying higher and higher, the two finally stopped side-by-side many thousands of feet above the ground. The two gazed in pure wonder at the beautiful landscape that spread out beneath them.

"This world is amazing!" Veres exclaimed in excitement.

"Mm. Blue Planet would love it. It's like box of jewels, there for the taking." Momonga proclaimed while reaching out, as if to grasp at the gems in front of him.

"Well, do you think this girl could get those jewels?" Veres asked, turning to Momonga. Momonga looked over at her, her coy tone half serious, half joking, telling him all he needed to know. He could only give a ghostly smile at her antics, happy to see her attitude returning to normal. To have his closest friend by his side would make facing the unknown infinitely more bearable.

"Definitely. Anything for you. I'd be happy to give you the world, as long as you stand by my side." Veres teared up at his heartfelt response, full of emotion and dedication. She rushed to embrace him, glowing in the feeling of his large frame as he returned her hug.

Both of them had forgotten Demiurge, who had a soft smile on his frog-like face. He knew that the two were truly meant to rule beside one another. And in that moment, he knew all of Nazarick existed to help them succeed, together.

Refusing to disturb them, he quietly waited and watched as the two embraced. He dedicated all of his great intellect to finding a way for them to unite as one. He labored over what that union would take to work physically, and what that would mean for the future of Nazarick.

Ruling the world was an obvious step. His Masters deserve nothing less, and what better gift could Momonga give his love then the whole world? There were other, complications, he would need to investigate though.

Eventually, the two separated. Veres refused to let go of his arm, if only to keep that tenuous contact, and was surprised when Momonga didn't pull away. She stuck close to his side as he looked down on Nazarick, taking note of the surging land that frothed like the sea.

"Hoh. Mare is quite good. It's good to see him thinking it through." Momonga said, his voice tinged with respect.

"Hm? Oh, he must be using some skills on top of his magic to make it go faster. It's impressive. to see all that ground move so quickly." Veres said, her attention now focused on the efforts of the dark elf.

Momonga glided down to the young boy, Veres still on his arm. Mare seemed to panic for a moment as he was caught off guard by their arrival. He soon eagerly approached the two, his posture making Veres think back to his creator's, at times, strange personality.

' _Ah, that's right. I forgot that both of them were unrepentant perverts, Buku was just better at hiding it then Pero. I can't believe she actually went through with it though. Did she really have to go through with making him the ultimate trap?_ ' Internally, she could only sigh in exacerbation at the antics of her past friend.

"Ah, Momonga-sama, Veres-sama. Is, is there something I can do for you?" He asked shyly, curling into himself now that he had their undivided attention.

"No, we just cam here to thank you for a job well done. You have really out done yourself in helping to keep Nazarick safe." Momonga proclaimed proudly. He patted the small boy's head while gazing out to the transformed landscape, now much more suitable for hiding his precious home.

"Here, as a reward. Keep it safe." He extended a hand to Mare, a small ring in his palm.

"Momonga." Veres said warningly. She would trust his judgement, but was still uncomfortable in giving up a Ring of Nazarick, even to a Floor Guardian.

"Ah~ah. Thank you Momonga-sama!" Mare eagerly proclaimed. A look of consternation planted itself on both Players' hidden faces as he put the ring on his left ring finger, radiating pure joy.

"Um. But, why are you two dressed like that Momonga-sama?" He asked curiously.

"Because Mare, our Masters do not wish to disturb our important work." Albedo said suddenly, gracefully landing atop the wall they were on.

"Eh? Uh, of course! To be expected of our Overseer, you were able to read our intentions very well." Momonga was clearly caught off guard, the stumbling in his speech obvious signs.

Suddenly, Momonga felt a chill run down his back. Looking at Albedo, he could see her gaze fixed on where his arm was linked with Veres'. She still had that smile on her face, but he could feel a profound sadness radiating from her. Thinking quickly, he thought of a way to hopefully raise her spirits while also making her job easier.

Pulling away from Veres, he stepped towards Albedo. She was quite surprised when he extended his hand, a flash of magic producing a small ring. She stared in mute shock at the gift she was being offered. To think she was so valued by her beloved Master…

She daintily picked up the ring, before putting it on in the same place as Mare. Eyes wet with tears, she grasped her hand close to her breast, cherishing the feelings in her heart. Eventually gaining back her confidence as a woman, she stepped forward. She came up to Momonga's armored frame and slowly wrapped her arms around him. Momonga looked down at her, unsure on what to do.

"Thank you, Momonga-sama." When he heard that whispered thanks, voice full of emotion, he had no choice but to hold the now quietly crying NPC to his chest. He had no idea that his actions could have such a profound impact on their psyche. The guilt at how he tampered with her emotions came back, crushing his soul.

He looked back at Veres, who stood stock still. There was no emotion in her posture. No hint at what she thought about Albedo's painfully obvious feelings, now on full display. He felt a slight fear creep into his undead heart. If she was obviously upset he could apologize and make amends, but her lack of a concrete reaction made him uneasy about what she really felt.

He didn't think she would be happy about what he did, but he would be devastated if she went to the extreme and started to resent Albedo for his mistake. Or worse, left him out of disgust.

Eventually, Albedo pulled away from him, a truly radiant and wholesome smile on her perfect face. He was taken aback by how beautiful she was when she used a real smile.

"Now, it's time for me to head back. I'm sure Sebas is quite upset with us having gone out without an escort. Veres, will you go back with me?" Deciding it was time to leave the fragile atmosphere, he bowed out of the situation, now eager to return to the mundane work on his desk.

"No, I'll stay out a bit more." She replied, tone completely neutral. That scared him more. However, there was nothing he could do then. So, a flash of magic later and he was gone, back into the Tomb. Veres looked at the Guardians before sighing in resignation.

"You two have been given quite the hefty responsibility. Don't make us regret it. Demiurge, I am confident that you can be responsible with one as well, so here." Veres said, turning to the NPCs. She handed a ring over to the demon, her motions lacking the fanfare and emotions Momonga's presentation had.

"Thank you Veres-sama. I will keep it safe." He said with a small bow. Veres nodded in return, confident that of all the NPCs he was intelligent and capable enough not to miss-use it. She then focused on the other two, as Albedo had moved over to be in front of Mare.

"Mare, we have been given a gift by our Lord. A sign of his favor and interest. We cannot disappoint him if we wish for him to show us his love in the future." The succubus said to the boy in a weirdly supportive and conspiratorially suggestive tone.

"I-I don't quite get what you're saying. But, but I want Momonga-sama to praise and love me more, s, so alright!" He said with an unusual amount of passion.

Hidden eye twitching at the innuendos, intentional or not, Veres tried to also bow out of the situation. The feelings of the NPCs were of some concern to her, but it's not like Momonga was the type to abuse his power or use someone like that. She just thought it was best to get away from the NPCs and their strange thoughts.

She still wanted to stay out though. Not for any particular reason, just to enjoy the freedom of it.

"I think it's time for me to depart as well. If I am needed, I will be in the mine." She said, eager to get away from the progressively stranger atmosphere as Demiurge put his two cents in on the Guardians prospective relationships with her (hopeful) love. She ignored the courtesies thrown her way by the NPCs as she headed off.

She then teleported to the mine's entrance and dispelled the ranger guise. They had been able to see the familiar entrance design from the air, so she knew where to go. It was rather unassuming to see; the entrance was just a small(ish) hole in the ground with very little above ground to distinguish it.

As she entered into it, heading deeper and deeper in to the crust of the earth, she took note of the appearance of it. She was mildly worried that there weren't any visible jacks or braces. For such a deep mine shaft to not have supports wasn't supposed to happen. She figured that it could only have stayed up so far with magic, so it should be safe to traverse for now.

She noticed the walls seemed to be pocketed with marks, evidence of the fighting that had apparently taken place. More than once some low level undead or demon would come out of the shadows and attack her. Skeletons and Imps were of no concern, but she couldn't shake the feeling that this would cause a headache in the future.

Eventually her paths crossed with some NPCs that served under Cocytus. They were quick to genuflect before her, reacting the same as they had in the presence of a Guardian. This helped alleviate some of her concern about Spawn and Mercenary type NPCs rebelling.

"What has been happening in here?" She asked to the monstrous beings.

"We are patrolling the recently liberated dungeon Veres-sama. After Lord Cocytus regained control of the central areas he sent out teams to clean up any remaining rebellious spawns, as well as try and find all the Mercenary guards." The large, praying-mantis-like one in the middle said.

"They couldn't have been overwhelmed that easily. Their average level is so much higher then almost all of the spawns in here. Plus, there were quite a few" Her concern was returning.

"Yes. Normally that would be the case. However, the spawn system reset, so many of the higher level enemies that you, the Supreme Beings, fought when clearing it out the first time showed up. They are all still rather weak overall, but when we first showed up Lord Cocytus did have to put down a level eighty Minor Pit Lord that had spawned.

Our relief force hasn't suffered any serious losses with a Floor Guardian leading us, but many of those stationed here were forced to fall back to more defensible areas and find safety in numbers. We have already confirmed some losses with the defenders reporting seeing several NPCs fall in battle." The NPC gave a rather detailed description of the situation.

It made sense, if they were caught unawares by a couple of the stronger monsters that had been here before it would take time. They also needed strength to deal with them. That wasn't present in large amounts before being transited to the new world.

"Very well, I have held you for long enough. It is time you return to your patrol. Where is Cocytus, so that I may speak with him?" She asked.

"Ah, we were just finishing our patrol, so we can escort you to him on our return path Veres-sama." The insect said.

"Fine, which way do we go?" she said exasperatedly, resigning herself to another escort.

"It is this way, Veres-sama." It gestured down the path she had been taking instead of down one of the many side tunnels.

She strode down the path in front. There was no way the NPCs would let her follow them, and she didn't want to be led around. They continued on, swatting aside the low-level masses with ease as they passed. Eventually, they heard the sound of pitched fighting down a side tunnel and the group raced to see what was going on.

They came into a large, cavernous room with many side tunnel entrances. YGGDRASIL was all about in-depth submersion and quasi-realistic processes. This meant that the mine needed to be run similar to how one might operate in real life. This meant there were real time processes, limits on how much could be mined based off its size, and the need for a logistical system to support the operation. This room served as a local nexus for the undead spawns used for mining.

Within the room a battle between some mid-tier monsters surrounded by low level pop-up spawns was taking place. Veres recognized them as being spawn defenders and a rapidly failing goblin. The goblin was a Redcap Mercenary, who had been placed there by the guild as a sentry. It wasn't particularly strong, but they had a lot of summon scrolls for them, so they were used rather effectively to provide an early warning system and slow a few invaders down.

The other monsters were mid-level demon spawns. The mine had originally been overrun by demons under the control of a minor raid boss, and these were some of the most common minions they fought. They looked like scaled satyrs and were a reasonable balance between offensive magic and physical strength. They were all about level 60, and there were three of them.

It was clear to Veres and her escorts who was on their side, made all the more obvious when two of the demons broke off to fight the newcomers while the other finished off the half dead goblin.

Veres was a level 100 Player and was escorted by five NPCs over level 70. It was an absolute slaughter once they engaged the demons, not even taking two minutes to mop up all of their assailants. The only excitement had been when Veres used an active racial skill for practice, and nearly destroyed the ceiling when it caused a demon to explode, overwhelming half the room in blue, iridescent flames.

While her escort secured the room and checked the surrounding passages for more monsters, Veres made her way over to the goblin Mercenary. It appeared to be on its last legs and might even die if it wasn't healed.

"[Heal]." She didn't take long to decide to save it. She wasn't particularly attached to the goblin, but felt it was a waste to let it die when she could easily save it. In game, she probably would have left it to save mana and time. But now it was a real, feeling creature and she felt that it was a waste to let it die so easily.

She couldn't recognize the looks of pure amazement and respect that appeared on the monstrous faces of the NPCs present. For a Supreme Being to bother saving such a lowly servant was a sign of how kind their rulers really were.

"Well, are we going to go? I think I want to head back to Nazarick soon, so I want to find Cocytus quickly." She asked, her tone clipped and forceful. The NPCs soon regained their bearing and fell in behind her as she headed back towards the main tunnel.

 ***Yay! Almost to Carne village. For relationships, Veres/Momonga is the main focus and will remain so. I don't think it's fair to Albedo for her to be programed in love with Momonga and not be able to reach for him, so she will eventually find a way. It will take a while though. Don't forget to comment, I always appreciate the feedback and it has given me a few ideas.***


	7. Chapter 7

Momonga scratched his bony head, staring at the back of the Death Knight in befuddlement as it charged towards the village on its own. He had summoned it to test his abilities and was completely blind-sided when it didn't stay by his side. Many things appeared to have changed from the game. As he heard others come through the Gate he had cast, he turned back to them. Veres had come through in full battle gear, her scepter at the ready as Albedo came behind.

"My apologies for the delay. The preparations took some time." Albedo said. Her brutal plate armor seemed all imposing to those who didn't know her.

"So, why did you come here all of a sudden?" Veres asked, looking at the corpse of a knight and the two children. She had been messaged in the middle of her conversation with Cocytus.

"When experimenting with the Remote Viewing Mirror I noticed this village was under attack by knights. This village is the closest sign of habitation to our home, and there didn't seem to be any particular reason for the attack. It seemed like a good way to gather intelligence about what has been happening in the area, so I intervened." Momonga tried to not say it was purely a whim, but Veres noticed.

"*sigh*, 'Saving someone who is in trouble is common sense', is it. Well, I can't fault you for that when it's what you used to get the others to let me join. So, what do we do next?" Her mood seemed reluctant, and her ears drooped in reaction to her mood.

"Ah, I already killed two of the knights. They were really weak. I was able to kill one with a fifth-tier spell. I also created a Death Knight to protect me, but it ran off to kill them and is still fighting. You should still stay alert, but so long as we are cautious we should be safe." He said, pointing to the fried corpse encased in armor.

Veres nodded in understanding before focusing back on the two humans. The two of them were huddled together, they hadn't let go of each other since she showed up. On their faces was a look of pure shock, so much had happened so quickly that they were incapable of processing what was going on.

' _Well, in for a penny, in for a pound._ ' Veres didn't think they were a threat and felt that gaining more good will from the people they were saving was the reasonable thing to do. She still didn't want to be there, though.

"[Heal]." Ears flicking in annoyance, she stuck out her palm and cast a healing spell. The small wound on the older girl's back quickly closed up with the overpowered spell. Both children stared in wonder at the magically healed wound.

"I'll set up a perimeter. Don't do anything crazy, we're here for intelligence." Veres said. Turning back to Momonga, she fixed him with a stern look, hoping to keep him focused on their goal, before her form faded out of view. A more powerful person would be able to sense as her magic spread out, providing a warm and comfortable glow to her allies.

Once Veres was gone, Momonga decided to find the knights who were keeping watch around the village. He cast some spells to protect the girls before throwing them a couple trash items for a meager defense. It would be unsatisfying if they died right away after he saved them. As he strode away, Albedo in toe, he only waved over his shoulder when he heard to two village girls thank him.

* * *

Veres floated gently above the small village. Although no one could see her, as she was both intangible and ethereal with her magical nature. She had quickly set up a magical defensive screen so that no high-level players could interfere from afar, and with the arrival of more servants from Nazarick they were now physically defended too. Below her, she could hear the 'fighting' between the Death Knight and the attackers.

She had watched the Death Knight fight for a while to better understand the strength of the locals. She had been sorely disappointed. She had watched as the attackers were butchered with contemptuous ease. However, instead of feeling relief that the innocent villagers were saved, or pity for the broken knights, she only felt irritation that she had been called away from Nazarick. Especially when the enemy was so weak.

She didn't understand why she felt that way. When she first arrived, she figured her indifference to the cooked corpse and injured girls came from her not witnessing the fight. However, after she felt little for the many brutal deaths she witnessed in the village she wasn't so sure. As she watched the proceedings below, she took note of Momonga as he experimented with the corpses of the knights who had stood watch. Whatever was affecting her probably affected him too, as he was indifferent to the inhumane experiments he performed.

Finally, the Death Knight had almost killed all the knights in the village when a horn rang out. She watched as Momonga took that as his que to intervene, the last few knights being spared. She didn't watch as Momonga talked to the rescued villagers, instead watching the knights who had run away with all their might. They soon left the main sensor net, but she still tracked them magically to find out where they came from. They eventually met up with a larger group, probably their superiors, before they took off running in terror again, to her utter amusement.

She watched as the group started to fan out, encircling the village. It appeared as if they were there for something else and Momonga just happened to intervene at the right time. The group, who she now noticed were all magicians, didn't make any moves on the village, so they were probably waiting for something to happen.

She then expanded her sensory magic, hoping to discover what they were waiting for. She wasn't disappointed when she noticed a group of riders approaching the village. They were still some miles away, but they would arrive at the village soon. She noticed when the encirclement seemed to let these riders in, before closing up and tightening around them.

When Veres noticed long-range magical surveillance prodding at the edge of their defenses, following the riders in, a monstrous grin split her muzzle. If anyone saw it, they would think she was snarling, a monster ready to pounce. Her long-range counter magic was the best in Nazarick, if anyone tried to watch her or find her using magic she would know. She also took great pleasure in trolling them from afar with false images, illusions, and 'special' counter spells. It didn't take her long to set up one of her more favored counters to unsolicited surveillance. She started to giggle madly at the thought of what medieval spellcasters would think of her show.

With a start, she snapped out of the dark haze she had descended into. Her pleasure at causing chaos and toying with the investigators was stronger than her normal joy at messing with people, instead bordering on heinous and malicious. She now understood that their minds had probably changed with their bodies. It explained why Momonga was so capable of slaughter, and her current inclination. She was a Celestial Beast with a Kitsune base. To her trickery and deceit of foes were the greatest things. It also meant that, as such a magnificent Beast, such inferior creatures as the humans below weren't worthy of her attention, so she was irritated with Momonga for making her help them.

She then grew uneasy. She wasn't afraid, just apprehensive of what these changes would mean. She didn't want to lose all of what made her human to her racial disposition. In YGGDRASIL, you could create lore and backstories for your character and NPCs. It didn't affect abilities usually, more there for flavor and world submersion. A Celestial Beast tended to be a bit different, as it had very relationship specific lore in the game, herself included. It was very important in explaining why they did something or were in an unusual place for NPC types. In this New World the completely flavorful lore she made for herself was now 'real', meaning that it might control her thoughts and feelings. How that would impact her relationship with Momonga wasn't clear when he was so important to her personal history and created lore.

"Ah. I can't let this distract me. [Message]." Her focus returning to the situation at hand, she messaged Momonga to inform him of the trap.

"[Hm? What is it Veres? Is something wrong?]" Momonga seemed distracted by his conversation with the lead rider.

"[Someone is setting up a trap. Although, it's for those riders, not us. Those knights probably attacked to draw out these riders, so expect an ambush soon.]" Her tone wasn't stressed, so Momonga was able to tell that it wasn't a serious threat.

"[Understood. Can you come down here? The leader of the riders is the Head Warrior of the kingdom we're in. We should keep good relations with him, for now.]" Momonga asked kindly, but for some reason she could only see it as an order. One that needed to be followed.

After double checking that her defenses would alert her to any threats, and that her fun little surprise for the nosy watcher was ready, she teleported to Momonga's position before allowing her intangible form to take shape. She suddenly faded into existence beside Momonga, opposite of Albedo, the Death Knight in the back. Her white motif was a harsh parallel to the other three.

All of the humans reacted in shock to her sudden appearance. The uncomfortable looking villagers' eyes widened at the sight of her holy radiance. The riders seemed to tense as they tightened their grips on their weapons, ready to strike at the four of them. The leader of the riders schooled his features well though, only briefly surprised before controlling his reaction.

"Amazing, I never would have expected this to happen." He said. His tight smile and heavy tone suggested that her appearance was just part of the oddity in that situation. Veres was now very curious about why everyone seemed so befuddled and surprised by her appearance.

* * *

Momonga descended slowly to the ground. He had been alerted to the plight of the surviving knights by the sound of a horn for aid. Of course, he had already killed their support that waited outside the village with their horses. They had all been excellent test subjects for his abilities.

"Death Night, that's enough." With his command it ceased its one-sided slaughter of the remaining knights. The survivors didn't seem all that pleased though, as the knights' trembling intensified, and the villagers seemed to want to run away.

"Greetings. I saw this village being attacked and just had to intervene. Of course, I can spare your lives, if you through down your arms." The knights didn't know what to do. They were terrified of the Death Knight, but its monstrous master was much worse. They were afraid that if they surrendered a fate worse than death would await them. Eventually, their fear of the known outweighed the unknown and they threw down their arms.

Shortly after, one of them prostrated on the ground. The other knights and all the villagers swiftly followed his example. Momonga was pleased to see the knights understood their position, but was also a bit embarrassed by the reverence the villagers were showing him.

"Well then, I believe you may live. If you deliver a message to your master. Tell them, 'This area is under my control. Do not go causing trouble, or I will sweep aside your entire nation.' Now, go." His commanding voice didn't broker any dissent from them. Although, they were too scared to resist anyways.

With permission to leave given, the knights fled like rabbits. They ran with all their might to escape the monstrous being behind them and could only pray in their hearts that the villagers wouldn't suffer. After the knights had left, Momonga turned back to the villagers.

"You are safe now. You may be at ease." Although he didn't show it, he was perplexed by their reaction. He had just saved their lives, and while some gratitude was expected they seemed adamant to please him as they remained prostrated.

"…However, I didn't rescue you for free. I will expect compensation for the lives of the villagers I saved." He had hoped a crass demand for money would alleviate their concerns about him, but it seemed to make things worse. Many of the prostrated villagers started to tremble, their postures similar to the knights who had fled. After some further coxing, and a few subtle threats, he finally got someone, who was probably the chief of the village, to look up at him. When he saw the fear in the man's eyes, naked for the world to see, he understood the humans' reactions.

He was an undead, and while in YGGDRASIL seeing undead around wasn't uncommon, it would appear that in this New World undead were thought of as monsters. For these simple people to have such an imposing monster show up and make demands of them broke their spirit. They seemed to fully expect to be killed and turned into undead. He finally understood that his demand for money made them think he was claiming their lives.

"Haaah. What a pain. Albedo, remove your helm." Quietly ordering his living subordinate to show she was alive, he started to understand where Veres' irritation came from.

"Understood." Once Albedo removed her helm the chief's eyes went wide. He had expected another monstrous visage, not a divine and radiant beauty.

"I wish to speak with you in private about my reimbursement." Momonga felt that the chief, and a few brave villagers who looked up, started to realize he wouldn't just kill them without reason. If it was possible for him to have a living servant, inhuman or not, then they should be able to convince their savior to let them live. Finally, the chief and his wife took Momonga inside the largest house in the village.

"Thank you very much for sparing our lives. We are in your debt. If there is anything we lowly beings can give to satisfy a Supreme One such as yourself, we will gladly give it to you." Their foreheads pressed down in deference, they now begged him to let the villagers live. Albedo seemed to purr at the way the chief referred to Momonga as Supreme.

"You don't need to worry. I merely saw the attack in passing and decided to intervene. It has, yes, it has been a long time since myself or any of my subordinates have left my home, so I am rather remiss in my knowledge of the surrounding area. I believe that that, as well as a few minor things, would be acceptable as payment. Also, I rescued a pair of girls when I first arrived, please send someone to fetch them." Momonga felt it was best to tread carefully, choosing to let the chief's fear overestimate his desires and then endear the chief to him with his kind treatment.

"Th, thank you very much! We are just a poor farming village, so we don't have much to give you. But, we, we will gladly give anything to our savior if we can." The chief seemed to relax. While there was still obvious fear and tension in his stance, he seemed to believe that the demands made would be feasible.

As time passed Momonga was able to gather a great deal of information about the surrounding countries including politics, agriculture, and currency. He was pleased to realize just how wealthy in this world he seemed to be with the literal sea of YGGDRASIL gold he had, although he'd have to be careful about how he distributed it. He was caught off guard by their lack of knowledge on resurrection and high-tier magic. The chief spoke of them as things of legends, attained only by heroes.

This did lead into an informative discussion on people known as adventurers. They appeared to be the largest group with any individual fighting strength, and the primary source of all magic usage outside the religious temples and a dedicated mage guild. He was glad to learn about a guild for them in the nearby city. When talking about this, the chief finally addressed the proverbial elephant in the room.

"If you wish to conduct trade or gather more information you would need to go to a city. But, one such as yourself would never be permitted entry. While a Supreme One such as yourself is incomparable to lowly undead like skeletons, monsters like Vampires and Elder Liches are beings everyone has learned to fear. I don't doubt that you would be attacked on site by adventurers or soldiers if you ever went to a city." The chief obviously didn't want to upset him, but Momonga still praised him in his heart for the valuable intel. He'd have to hide his unhuman nature if he visited any cities, but he was still glad to learn lowly Elder Liches were considered powerful beings.

"I understand. Thank you for the explanation. When my friends and I used to be out in the open more often seeing heteromorphs wasn't uncommon or strange. It appears that things have changed significantly over time. Now, we have been discussing for some time, so I'm sure work for yourself has been building up. I believe that with the information you have given me, as well as the funds previously discussed, we can say your debt is cleared." Getting up from the rickety chair, he made his way to the door.

Outside, the villagers had tentatively started to repair their village. Pulling aside debris, putting out fires, and collecting bodies for burial were all tasks they went about performing. They still visibly avoided the chief's house and the imposing Death Knight who stood guard outside it.

Right in front of the house sat the two girls he had rescued. They had been cleaned up and put into nice(r) clothes while they waited for him to finish talking with the chief. From their posture and nervous demeanor, he gleaned there was more to them being there than he thought.

"Hm? Why aren't you two helping in the village? I'm sure your family would like the help in rebuilding your home." He asked, hoping to glean some information from their words.

"Um. Are, aren't you taking us too?" the older girl asked fearfully. It would appear the villagers had misunderstood his intent when he asked them to get the girls. They all seemed to think that he had claimed them as part of the payment.

"No, I have no need for more subordinates. Besides, this is your home. I couldn't possibly take you away from your family." He tried to dissuade their misbeliefs with a gentler tone. He was caught off guard when the younger one started to cry as the older one gripped her tighter.

"Our parents were killed in the attack. We have nothing left." The older girl seemed to be on the verge of tears as well. Momonga's opinion of the chief dropped a little bit. It appeared that he was willing to give up the girls, who might become a burden, to be part of his reward.

"… This is your home. While your parents may be gone, I'm sure there are those who would miss you. It's up to you to push forward and rebuild your life." He could only give them bland words of encouragement as he left the two girls. He really didn't think it would be a good idea to take them with him, so he could only coldly turn away and hope that the villagers wouldn't scorn them.

The reaction he got wasn't what he had unexpected. As he walked towards the small cemetery where the killed villagers were to be buried, he did his best to ignore the look of pure adoration on Albedo's face and the near worshiping gaze of the villagers who had seen him refuse the girls services.

Once all the bodies were collected, all the villagers came together and buried them. He could only watch in discomfort as they were put to rest and the survivors gave prayers for their souls. He still wanted to talk to the chief, so Momonga decided to wait until he had completed some of the more pressing tasks. Eventually, a man ran up to the chief, drawing Momonga's attention.

"Is something the matter?" He asked after noticing the quickly panicking villagers.

"It, it appears more riders are approaching the village..." The chief said nervously. He clearly wanted the powerful magic caster to stay in case the riders were hostile but was afraid of the Undead's response. He was also afraid of how these riders might treat them after seeing an undead in the village.

' _Ah well. It's too late to do anything about it now. I doubt I could wipe all their memories, and just killing them would be a waste._ ' Momonga realized he had made a mistake by not disguising himself, but figured it was best to own it and deal with any consequences.

"I understand." Momonga moved off to the side with his two servants cum bodyguards. Still visible to the riders and the chief, but with a less pronounced and demanding posture.

When the riders entered the village square, he took note of their well-armed and serious demeanor. They all tensed when they saw him, many even drew their blades upon seeing the monstrous trio. The most powerful looking one at the head of the formation bore down on the chief. He took note of the inhuman beings and tensed, but maintained his bearing while trying to discern the truth. He didn't want to fight against something he didn't think he could beat unless he had to.

"I am the Kingdom's Head Warrior, Gazef Stronoff. I've come to investigate the attacks on villages by armored knights. However, I must ask who that is." He approached the chief while gesturing to the Undead and its companions. He didn't react when many of the villagers whispered his name in recognition and reverence.

"Head Warrior. You grace us with our presence. Those individuals are our saviors from the knights when they attacked. They intervened just in time to rescue most of the village. They are…" The chief trailed off when introducing them, and Momonga realized he had never introduced himself. He had let them refer to him as Supreme One or Savior out of convenience, making him forget his courtesies to give them his name. Pausing to think about what name he should give, he made his decision.

"… How do you do? My name is Ainz Ooal Gown."

 ***Hoh-ho. What changes will this bring? Ever so slowly, the changes to the story will grow. Comment on what you think about these changes. I feed off them.***


	8. Chapter 8

Gazef Stronoff viewed his surroundings with extreme caution. He and his men had been on the trail of armored knights who had been destroying villages in the area. They were quite far ahead of his men and catching them was proving difficult. But this village was different. He could immediately tell that something was off when he saw most of the village still standing, all the others had been totally destroyed.

His trepidation and weariness grew as his men got closer. He could see villagers going around to repair the damage that had been done. On the ground around them, there were mangled and dismembered corpses of several armored figures. The corpses were barely recognizable as human, and several appeared to have become undead during the fight.

He didn't see any dead defenders though. Of course, its possible that any casualties had already been buried, but the way the corpses seemed to lead into the village suggested otherwise. Finally, he saw the village square. The village chief was waiting for him, wondering about the strange riders. Gazef looked around suspiciously, wary of an ambush.

Then, his breath caught. Off to the side, just on the peripherals of the village square, were a trio of monsters. The hulking armored frame of a massive beast that radiated malice was at the back of the group, and the least impressive. Next, an otherworldly beauty with two horns gently curving from her head stood at the ready. He had no doubts about her horns' realness. Her armor was something that he, as a warrior, immediately coveted. It was an intimidating full plate suit that was filled with a magical essence and oozed quality.

Finally, the obvious leader of the monstrosities, a skeletal undead. No, that was an insult to such an imposing creature. Its fleshless skull gleamed with an unholy radiance, with two crimson flames in the eye sockets drawing him in. It wore a magnificent array of magical gear that seemed to radiate power. When one viewed its large frame, it seemed to suck in the surrounding light.

Looking at these beings, Gazef could only feel helpless. He had no doubt in his mind they had slaughtered the knights and would easily slaughter him and his men. He schooled his features, a necessary trait in the world of Noble politics. Approaching the chief, he vowed in his heart to discover the truth and protect the Kingdom however needed.

"I am the Kingdom's Head Warrior, Gazef Stronoff. I've come to investigate the attacks on villages by armored knights. However, I must ask who that is." He cut straight to the point. He was internally relieved by the villagers' reverence of him. It meant that he was still known and trusted by the citizens.

"Head Warrior. You grace us with our presence. Those individuals are our saviors from the knights when they attacked. They intervened just in time to rescue most of the village. They are…" The chief gladly gave him useful information. Perhaps more useful than he realized. And when the chief looked over to the skeletal being, everyone's focus moved with him.

As they stared at the monstrous beings, they seemed to grow before their eyes. In Gazef's heart, he felt like a small animal in front of a large predator.

"… How do you do? My name is Ainz Ooal Gown." The imposing voice of this Master of Death shook him to his bones. Its menacing voice matched its figure so well it almost seemed made for it. Mustering his courage and steeling his soul, Gazef spoke.

"Greetings, Gown-dono. Thank you for your service to this Kingdom. You have done us a great favor by saving our people." With a small bow of his head, he surprised both his subordinates and the villagers. His response was civil and courteous. They didn't think he would be so respectful to an inhuman monster.

"Think nothing of it. We were just passing by and decided to help." Gazef felt there was more to it, but didn't feel inclined to press for an answer.

"Still, thank you. You put yourself in danger to save innocents, and that is worthy of respect. Could you please tell me more about the attack? We wish to put an end to this violence." Dismounting his horse, he tried to appear as approachable as possible. By now his men had started to relax. So long as their leader was willing to talk they wouldn't start a fight with such terrifying monsters.

"Of course. Chief, may we impose on you the use of your home?" Internally, Gazef was relieved. The fact that such a powerful being was willing to show proper courtesies to a lowly village chief bode well for any discussions they may have. It showed he was willing to think things through and not just act on impulse.

His attention was drawn back to Gown. He seemed to be distracted by something. It took him a moment to realize he was probably talking to someone magically.

"Is something wrong Gown-dono?" he asked. Something that could worry a monster like him must be truly terrifying.

"No. My companion was just telling me about something. It's not that important. I have asked her to come join us for our talks, is that alright with you?" The nonchalant way in which Gown responded to Gazef calmed him.

"Of course! If its your trusted companion, I see no reason to not include them." He affirmed. He sympathized with the humans present who were uncomfortable with more monstrosities appearing, but really didn't see a reason to stop it. Although, just for a second, it felt like a complex emotion appeared on the horned woman's face when he referred Gown's companion.

They waited there for Gown's companion to arrive, fully expecting whatever appeared to be an intimidating monster with a terrifying visage. After all, what else could be trusted by a Skeletal King? All eyes were drawn to a shimmer that appeared next to Gown. What materialized next was unlike anything they had expected to see.

The being was clearly not human, like her companions, but that's where the similarities ended. Instead of having a near human form like those present, she appeared to be some sort of bipedal fox. She had a long and slender muzzle, with a body covered in snow white fur that shimmered in the gentle breeze. Behind her a multitude of large, bushy tails swayed gently.

Her appearance was radiant. Not attractive in the conventional sense, but it drew the eye. Her clothes matched her appearance with a clean white tone, and she seemed to have a holy air about her. When she stood next to Gown, the harsh difference was mind boggling. Their presence made one think of apposing Gods, not close and trusting companions.

Gazef, and everyone present, clearly didn't know how to react to the appearance of another inhuman being of unknown power. They all reacted differently. The tension returned to Gazef's men as they tensed, fearful of an attack. The villagers seemed ready to worship the beings who had saved them, seeing them more akin to the Gods they appeared as than mortal monsters. Gazef, as a representative of his King, could do nothing else but tighten his expression and forge ahead peacefully.

"Amazing, I never would have expected this to happen." The attention of this new being snapped to Gazef as he uttered these words. She had been taking in the atmosphere of the situation but now focused on him, the clear leader.

"Who are you?" She seemed curious about the sudden change in atmosphere. Her large ears and expressive face made reading her surprisingly easy compared to the unmoving face of Gown. But her posture was tense, she could clearly read the unease in Gazef's men.

"I am Gazef Stronoff, the Head Warrior for this Kingdom." He was glad when she appeared to relax as Gown's hand went to her shoulder. It did make him question the nature of their relationship though. Were they lovers? If so, his mind threatened to break at trying to figure out how that would work with Gown's skeletal body.

"I'm Veres." Her curt response surprised him. It was unusual for someone of standing or power to have a name with only one word. He figured it just meant that she and Gown shared a name, implying they were family, or even married by how Veres moved closer to Gown. He didn't dwell on it, instead he was forced to focus on his subordinate that came running up.

"Chief! Chief! The village is being surrounded!" He came running in to the village square from where he'd been on guard. His gaze then followed everyone else's.

"Ieee!" His men stationed on watch at the edge of the village weren't aware the inhuman guests, so the soldier was terrified by the sight of such imposing beings. He scrambled to draw his blade, causing the tense atmosphere to explode. Quickly, all of Gazef's men were drawing their blades for a fight, while only the two female monsters seemed to react as they readied their magical weapons.

"Stand down! We're not here to fight! Gown-dono, are these possibly more of your companions?" Luckily, his men stopped at his order, but they still tightly gripped their weapons. He highly doubted Gown would be so underhanded as to trap him, especially when he was obviously much more powerful. Still, he had to ask.

"No, they appear to have been waiting for you." Veres' response was disheartening, but not surprising. He had always been the center of controversy, and the King's enemies would greatly benefit from his death.

"I see. Chief, is there anywhere for you to hide the villagers?" He could only focus on protecting the innocents from the coming battle.

"Ah. Y, yes. There's a storehouse just over there." All of the villagers rushed to the storehouse, hoping to avoid another attack. Everyone funneled into the large building as they waited for the ambushers to be drawn in.

* * *

Gazef struggled to stand. His breath ragged, and his men beaten around him, he knew that he was about to die. They had all fought well, but they couldn't overcome the elite mages of the Slane Theocracy's Sunlight Scripture.

"Really, is that all the great Gazef Stronoff has? I'm disappointed." The leader of the magical priests taunted him from afar. Gazef had tried his hardest to strike down the ringleader, but was overwhelmed by the shear number of angel summons in front of him.

"After we kill you, we are going to slaughter those worthless villagers. You have failed to defend your people, _Head Warrior_." The arrogance and certainty in the man's voice amused Gazef. He obviously had no idea what exactly was protecting that village.

"No, there are ones much stronger than me protecting that village." Gazef was confident that Gown and his companions could protect the village. But, his answer seemed to frustrate the magician.

"Really!? He's bluffing. Kill him." A crazed look in his eye, the magician gleefully looked forward to the impending slaughter. As Gazef readied himself to die, he heard a voice whisper in the wind.

"I think its about time to switch." Suddenly, he and his men were back in the storehouse with the villagers. He looked around in confusion, unsure as to what had happened. Before him, Veres looked at them with disinterest.

"What happened?" He allowed his guard to drop as he tried to figure out what happened.

"We saved you. I'll make sure none of your men die. [Heal]." Her voice was like sweet nectar to his ears as relief washed over him. All of his painful wounds seemed to close on their own and he felt completely rejuvenated by the magic infused into him.

"Thank, thank you. You saved us all a lot of trouble once again." He bowed deeply to the magical creature which had just healed all of them. He wasn't at all surprised by the ease with which she did it.

"Don't mention it." The dismissive way she waved him off after performing such an impressive feat of magic affirmed his belief in these beings' greatness.

"Still, if there's anything I can do for you or Gown-dono I will try to do it. I, and this Kingdom, owe you a great debt." He tried to express the real gratitude he felt for being saved by those so different from him. They had gone out of their way to help him and his men when they didn't have to. Although he was curious when her ears twitched at Gown's name.

"There isn't anything you could give us. We just helped out because we wanted to. So long as we aren't drawn into any more trouble its fine." Veres' disinterest continued. But Gazef was a determined man, he wouldn't let up so easily.

"I cannot forget the service you and your husband have done. If you have any need if you're ever in the capital, I will help." He continued to express his gratitude but was surprised by the normally apathetic creature's reaction.

"We-we aren't married. We are just companions who have been together a long time." The way she twisted in on herself revealed her feelings. It was honestly baffling to him that she would suddenly become so shy and reserved. The way she spoke of their relation made Gazef almost envious of Gown. He had a clearly dedicated and caring woman by his side and he didn't seem to know it.

* * *

Ainz watched as Gazef and his men rode away from the small village. He had told the warrior that he had just chased off the Scripture, but the man seemed to have guessed that wasn't entirely true.

"Are we done here?" Veres' tone told him she was quite done with the small village. It was now late into the evening and they had spent almost the whole day in the insignificant place.

"Yes, we can head back now. We learned a lot, and I have some ideas for what we should do next." Ainz tried to placate her with what they had gained, but she didn't seem to be totally ready to forgive him.

"Why did you introduce yourself as Ainz?" Her tone brokered no discussion, and by the way Albedo shifted about uncomfortably made him think she was curious too.

"To spread our name. If anyone else out there is in the same situation as us they'll recognize the name." He was confident that his reasoning made sense, and the two seemed to partially buy it.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous? We didn't exactly have the best reputation in YGGDRASIL, and human Players might be hostile." Her concern was valid, but Ainz felt the benefits outweighed the risks.

"We have to at least try. If any of our old companions are out there we have to help them. Plus, I think we should work with anyone like us while we don't know what's going on. Of course, we'll defend ourselves if need be. Are you that against me using our name as my own?" he was worried Veres might be offended that he used their name like that.

"No. I'm not. Others might, but they aren't here and we are. I'm sure there are some who would complain, but I say fuck'em. They made their choice when they left so they have no right to complain. Besides, in the end you really are Ainz Ooal Gown. It wasn't Pero or Touch Me or Ulbert who brought us all together and led us to greatness. Nobody else would have been able to do it, we were all too different. But you made it work, so all the glory and recognition are yours to use as you see fit." Veres' response made him truly think about all that had happened.

One part, a big part, of him agreed with her. Their friends had left them in the end, and he couldn't deny the small amount of resentment he felt. But he didn't think he was as important to their greatness as she made him out to be. He wasn't the smartest, or the strongest, he had just been like a manager for them, directing them where to go only when needed.

He wasn't surprised by her dislike for their absent guild members though. She had joined after the Three Burning Eyes fiasco, so many had felt that they shouldn't have let new members in. It took everything he had to convince enough people to let her enter the guild. The vote to let her join had been won by a single vote, his. She had never been that close to much of the guild, instead choosing to stay primarily with Ainz and his close friends. She had been their friend and companion, but after all that had happened when she was in Seraphim it was to be expected that she would hold a little resentment for being abandoned.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere." Ainz didn't notice the elation and relief on both Albedo's and Veres' faces as he walked away.

 ***And that's the end of the first volume. Now I know you were all excited for Nigun, but he just isn't important. There will be an epilogue and a character sheet for Veres in the next release. Don't forget to comment on how I wrote for Gazef. If you like it, I'll do other people more.***


	9. Chapter 9

* **Double for the "bonus" material. Make sure you don't miss either chapter.***

Veres watched on as the NPCs basked Momonga, no, Ainz, in shouts of praise. They had taken his proclamation as word of law, and fully intended to fulfill his dreams. Her presence was minimal in the declaration of his change of names. Finally, he teleported out of the Throne Room and Veres followed him out.

"Haaah- so tired." Ainz' figure seemed to change. Gone was the empowered leader of Nazarick, in his place was Suzuki Satoru. A man completely out of his depth who was struggling under the weight of leadership was all that Veres could see.

"They really are quite energetic." Ainz only scoffed at her dig. The NPCs were slavishly loyal and hyper focused on pleasing their masters. The energy with which they served Ainz and Veres weighed down on their human sensibilities.

The two walked in silence towards Ainz' room. They were thankful for the modicum of peace the assembly in the Throne Room provided. They weren't eager to get back to work, but knew they had no choice once they were accosted by the NPCs again. In that regard Veres was lucky. There wasn't nearly as much that she personally needed to look after as Ainz. She really only ever did something if Ainz was too busy or she got bored. The work was picking up though. And if they started going back outside more frequently then everything would need to be squared away before they left.

"Veres, what have you heard from the mine?" Ainz inquired. He had been too distracted to catch up on what had been going on with it the last few days. Instead, Veres had spent a large amount of time with Cocytus to get it back up and running. The possible uses for the Prismatic Ore made it too much of a boon to ignore.

"Hm? We have control of it again, and we've been experimenting with using undead spawns from Nazarick to start mining again. It seems like if we use an intelligent spawn as an overseer it will work. We've already begun limited extraction, but we ran into a problem." Her tone implied that she was frustrated by the problem.

"What's wrong? Is there no ore?" Ainz grew worried about what this problem would mean.

"No. Like a real ore, there are differences between each nugget for purity. In the game they were all made uniformly so they could be processed incredibly easily. Now, its unlikely that we can use any mined ore until we can process it properly." She was obviously exacerbated by the problems this was causing.

"Well, don't you know a lot about this kind of stuff?" Ainz asked. He knew that she had been an engineer or scientist of some kind, and that she worked with unusual materials.

"*Snort.* I don't know anything about mining. Besides, this ore is magical, so anything I know about material properties is out the window. For all I know it operates completely different from any elements I'm familiar with. It would be like you managing the budget of a country. It's technically the same kind of work as what you did but is completely different in application." Ainz couldn't respond to that. Just the thought of having to manage a country made him want to cower.

"Well, we can figure it out. I'm planning on going into the human city in disguise soon. We can gather good information on the strong beings in this world if we work as adventures. Plus, it will be nice to go exploring like old times." Veres had to agree, it sounded fun.

"Yes, but only if I can pick my disguise. We shouldn't try to stand out much, so we should only take a couple NPCs." Her eagerness showed in they way she seemed to bounce as they walked.

"Ah, ah. I was hoping we could go alone. Just the two of us." Ainz said tightly. Veres froze at his words, before she started walking again.

"We-well, I don't think they'll let us go alone. Not that I wouldn't want to! But, I figure we should know which ones to take if they make us bring some along. The Pleiades maids Yuri and Narberal should be good to take. They'll help our cover story of being foreigners who don't know anything about the area." Ainz silently thanked Veres in his heart. Without her to bounce ideas off of he probably would have gone alone, half-cocked and without a plan only to be drawn into trouble constantly. Now, they would know what they were doing when they got there. Hopefully.

"I see, that will work. We can use our human faces in our disguise so that we look like we're from the same place." Ainz didn't notice the discomfort that Veres felt about using their real faces. She didn't want to be scarred again, even if it was an illusion.

"What names should we use though? We can't go as Ainz and Veres if the Head Warrior knows we aren't human. What name would work? Momon? Or how about…" Ainz tapered off as he started thinking about what name to use.

"I don't care. We should keep them simple but unique. I don't want to think you're talking to somebody else just because I forgot my 'name' is something common like Jane or something. I guess Mel would be fine. We can worry about our backstory later." They had returned to Ainz' room, and the mountain of work within.

* * *

They ran. The three of them had been released by that terrifying monster. They had just been lucky to survive long enough to be let free.

The mission was terrible.

Everything had gone to shit so quickly. First, their leader started thinking with his dick more than his head, so they had to put down the struggle that caused.

Then, that **monster** showed up. All they could do was pray and watch helplessly as they were butchered by that armored monstrosity. They had felt relief when it stopped, until they saw its master. Any faith in their Gods was shattered upon seeing that Skeletal King.

When they had been allowed to run, that's what they did. They tried to warn the Sunlight Scripture about what was in the village but were laughed off.

After all, it was impossible for a God-like being to be in such an insignificant place.

So, once again, they ran.

They ran without stop, just to get away from the monsters behind them. Now, they tore through a forest as quickly as they could. The feeling of dread and terror within just didn't seem to dissipate as they ran.

Suddenly, the two in front noticed their third companion was missing.

He had just been behind them.

They realized they were being hunted. By what they didn't know, but they stood no chance. The two took off, no time or pity for their fallen comrade. They could only be happy in their fear-riddled hearts that his death was buying them more time.

Finally, they heard a scream. It came from a human that was tortured and broken beyond all belief. What followed that scream was a deep, rasping laughter full of malice and hatred. When a chorus of harsh voices joined in, their terror exploded.

Whatever was hunting them enjoyed it and wanted them to know. They didn't think, only trying to escape whatever horrors pursued them. If they could only escape the forest, they would be safe on the open plains. That's what their shattered psyches told them.

They reached a clearing, the gentle moonlight filtering down making them feel at ease. They'd be able to see anything coming if they rested here. But not for long, it was too dangerous to stop.

As they caught their breaths, the two could only think about what brought them here. They had been soldiers in the Slane Theocracy, loyal servants of the state and their Gods. They had been tasked with helping assassinate the Head Warrior of the Re-Estize Kingdom. They had left their homes and families to do their duty to humanity. Now, they truly realized how puny and insignificant mankind was.

They're just children, trying to play in a world of Gods.

The two calmed their breath, getting ready to run again. But, they were distracted by a huffing sound. The second knight turned to the first, wondering if he was still out of breath, and froze.

The first knight gurgled softly as he tried to breathe through ruined lungs. His throat was crushed, so he couldn't cry out in terror as his life slipped away. His eyes were full of shock at the sudden pain.

What held the first knight's broken body in its maw was a monster of demonic proportions. It stood a full meter above him, with a massive crocodilian head crowned in brutal horns staring down at him. It watched him in glee as his terror returned in full force. The last knight turned and ran, just trying to get away from the menagerie of horrors that were behind him.

He ran, and ran, and ran. He didn't stop when his lungs started to burn. He didn't stop when his legs started to ache. All he could think about was escape.

Finally, he saw the edge of the forest. He could make out the road that headed towards human civilization. On it was a small caravan of wagons circled up for the night. He hoped that he would be safe in their midst, defended from harm with numbers. If not, they would buy him more time with their lives.

He scrambled into the perceived safety of the circle. A small fire sat in the middle, a clear sign of habitation. That didn't put him at ease. There should have been guards. A faint scent of blood hung in the air, driving him mad with images of what horrors might have occurred.

He heard a soft moaning. Full of trepidation and terror, he turned.

It was the third knight. He wasn't recognizable as human anymore. His eyes had been gouged out, bits of flesh and eye still clinging to the destroyed sockets. His face had been mauled, deep trenches marking where something sharp had been dragged along before being burned shut destroyed it. His limbs were twisted and bent, the bones broken beyond all repair as they pierced his skin.

He had been nailed to one of the wagons. Large, jagged spikes run through his limbs holding him off the ground. His torso was marred by holes and peelings. He had been partially skinned, with obvious signs of being fed on. Only the tattered remains of his armor a sign of who he once was.

The most terrifying part though, was that he was still _alive_. Something had gone to great lengths to destroy him and then leave him to be found.

The last knight collapsed. There was no escape. He could only hope for a merciful and swift death. He cried like he had never done so before as he heard that laughter return. He absently watched as more and more demonic monsters seemed to melt into the feeble light of the dying fire.

* * *

 ***You know what inspired this. Only the brave can reach the character sheet.***

Neuronist Painkill sashayed into her work station. Tied up on a rack was a young priest, naked as the day he was born. Her Master, Lord Ainz, had been gracious enough to let her work with the captured members of the 'Slane Theocracy'. She had already done her job of gathering valuable intel from them, with some unfortunate losses, so Lord Ainz had kindly given her a low-ranked member to play with.

' _Ah, what a shame. I don't think I'll ever be able to reach your crystalline beauty Ainz-sama.'_ She was taken out of her thoughts when she noticed the priest struggling against his restraints. She had purposely left him conscious and uneducated so that they could learn together.

"Hi there~. My name is Neuronist Painkill, and I hope you'll be able to take care of me~." She was incredibly excited to practice her skills with this man, and she could tell he was eager by the way his eyes widened and his muscles tensed.

"Now, you don't know who I am, and I think its best if a couple get to know each other well before they take the next step. I already know a lot about you, so I'll make sure to tell you about myself. I'm the Chief Interrogator for the Grand Tomb of Nazarick, where you currently are. You already know our glorious Master, Ainz Ooal Gown. He's the beautiful creature who brought you here." She saw the recognition in his eyes at the name of her glorious Master.

"Ku-ku-ku-ku. I see you remember. Yes, my beloved Master had the kindness to give your care to me. Unfortunately, if I ever wish to gain his love and recognition I need to be able to please him. There's just no way for me to compete with Veres-sama as a woman, so I need to win his affection with my skills. This is where you come in.

I know a lot, but have little experience, so your job is to help me become a real woman. I can already see how eager you are to bed such a beautiful woman as myself, so we can get started. This is our first time, so I hope to make it memorable." Neuronist moved in, quickly giving him a shot of her most powerful stimulant. His fleshy member sprung to life as the magical fluid coursed through it.

She was really proud of her skills. The fact that she was able to cure his E.D. with just a little shot made her really happy. Her partner seemed to be happy too, as he started crying tears of joy at the prospect of bedding a beauty such as her. Her folds quivered and her tentacles squirmed in anticipation.

She bent down to his eager member and enveloped it into her ovoid mouth. She had been taught a lot by her creator, so she was careful to not draw blood with her teeth as they scraped along the shaft. She started to use her long, narrow tongue to play with his engorged head.

Finally, once she had gotten used to having such a foreign object in her mouth, she started to move. She bobbed back and forth with increasing speed while her tentacles roamed his sculpted torso. As she got more and more aroused, she started producing copious amounts of mucus on her tentacles.

They started to move towards his backside, caressing and teasing his rear. She had heard that some men like this kind of thing, so she wanted to try it. As her tentacles started slipping into him one at a time, she learned that it was the truth as his muscles clenched and his lower half shuttered.

Eventually she got a bit eager, so she used her small but long tongue to pleasure his front hole. This seemed to do the trick, as he started to moan in pure ecstasy through his gag. Its barbed head stimulated him just properly, until with a mighty shutter she got her first taste of a man's flavor. She was immediately hooked on the salty musk that permeated her mouth. Pulling away from his still hard member, she looked her new lover in the eye.

"It tastes so~ good~! Thank you for this wonderful experience. Now, I can see you still want more. So why don't we move on to the main course?" Seductively, she started to ever so sensually remove her leather clothing until she was as naked as him. She shyly twisted and squirmed under the intense and predatory gaze of her lover.

"Now~, please be gentle." She moved until she was positioned over top of him before sliding his big red member into her mantle cavity. The two moaned at the pleasure of her inner muscles and mucus massaging his engorged member.

She then looked him in the eye and dove in for a kiss. She deftly removed his gag with her tentacles before pushing her tongue into his mouth. He was apparently surprised by the taste of his own spunk in her mouth as she battled with his tongue. Finally, she started to properly ride him to ever increasing orgasmic pleasure.

"Ah~. Ah~. Amazing~! I might just. Fall~. In~. Love~. With~. You~! I know Ainz-sama said I could only keep you for a few days, but you are just too amazing!" She cried out from their kiss, her inhuman anatomy allowing her to never break it. Eventually the pleasure became too much, and with a thunderous cry the two newly minted adults came to a crashing orgasm. They're cries echoed throughout the tomb as her depths were painted white by his spunk and his essence surged into her.

 ***I do hope to put a very explicit scene in each epilogue or intermission, but with different characters. Moving on to less disturbing topics, we move on to the second volume. Below is the promised character sheet. Hope it makes sense and is reasonable. I based the layout off of the original Character Sheets from the novels. Don't forget to comment and review.***

VERES

A FOXY GIRL OF MANY TALENTS WHO IS TOTALLY DEVOTED

Job:

One of the Almighty 42 Supreme Beings

Loyal and devoted friend and aid to Ainz

Residence:

The Ninth-Floor of the Grand Tomb of Nazarick (Usually Ainz' Room)

Alignment: Neutral Sense of Justice: 0

Racial Level: Kitsune 5 LV

Nine-Tailed 5 LV

Celestial Beast 15 LV

Job Level: Shrine maiden 5 LV

Duplicity 5 LV

False Piety 10 LV

[Racial Level: 35] + [Job Level: 65] Total level 100

Ability Chart [Shrine Maiden Form]

HP 70/100

MP 100/100

PHY. ATK 65/100

PHY. DEF 90/100

AGILITY 80/100

MAG. ATK 45/100

MAG. DEF 70/100

RESIST 65/100

SPECIAL 110/100

[A proud and devout believer in the Light God, she was scorned by her piers for her monstrous nature. Vowing vengeance and fighting for survival, she ran from her home. Hunted by those who had betrayed her, she was rescued by Death. Owing a great debt, she swore her loyalty to him and joined his Menagerie. She serves him faithfully as a priest of the Light God, but…]


	10. Chapter 10

***Double release. Make sure you see the epilogue.***

The door to the tavern swung open. Four people entered, drawing the attention of the bar's patrons. The leader was a large man in black full plate armor and a pair of massive swords. The second was a lithe female ranger in form fitting light armor with her face covered by a mask and a nondescript bow and sword. The third was a young woman with large gauntlets, her hair in a tight bun, glasses on her face, and a leather choker around her neck. The fourth was another young woman with no discernible gear except well-made clothes, a sword, and a high ponytail on her head.

The last two were incredibly beautiful foreigners, probably the most beautiful women they had ever seen. There alabaster skin and black hair were unusual in this part of the world. With cold eyes they viewed the grungy tavern with an air of disdain.

The low-class males all leered at their beautiful figures, while the sharper people took stock of their high-quality gear and large presence. The group made its way through the tavern, deftly avoiding all the low-ranked adventurers that inhabited the area.

"You staying here, huh. For how long?" The rumbling voice of the bartender called out as he sized up the group.

"We wish to stay for one night." The armored figure, Ainz, said.

"A copper plate, huh? It's five coppers a night. Food's provided but meat costs extra." The man seemed to dismiss the new adventurers until the leader spoke.

"If possible, we'd like rooms please." The barkeeper seemed angry about his response. With a crash he slammed his fist down on the counter top, showing his ire and strength as a former adventurer.

"You know why the guild sent you to the worst adventurer inn in town? To form a party. If the four of you plan on forming up that's fine, but you're here to make connections. You need a well-balanced team if you want to survive and I don't see a healer." The bartender guessed that the flashy armored man had more money than brains, and he didn't think about what he was going to do before galivanting off with his little flock.

"It's fine. We'd like double rooms please, if you have them. Also, we'll skip on the food." The armored copper-plate didn't seem to react to his informative lesson, so the bartender just sighed and wrote them off as dead.

"*Sigh*, punks like you don't know what's good for you. It'll be seven coppers up front. I only have one, so you'll have to share. If anything breaks in the room, you have to pay for it." The bartender scooped up the money dropped on the counter, then went back to cleaning his favorite glass. He ignored the group and the deadly stares from the women as they took the key and walked away.

As they headed towards the stairs a foot stuck out in Ainz' way. It was attached to a man with an iron plate who sat with similar looking men.

' _Give me a break_.' Looking at the mischievous looks on the man's face, Ainz felt troubled by having to go through with this. Getting it over with, he brushed the leg aside as he strode past.

"Oi, oi, that hurt." The ruff looking man popped up in front of Ainz, hoping to intimidate him with his muscular frame. Ainz, however, just saw a child throwing a tantrum as he looked at the insignificant man from his armor.

"I see. I guess your leg was too short, so I couldn't see it. That's my apology, will you take it?" Ainz' condescending tone made the man flush with rage, and many patrons frowned at his dismissal of one of their own.

"Hah!? Are you crazy?! My foot was seriously hurt here! I can't just forgive you that easily. However, I think I can forgive you if you let one of those girls tend to me for the night." The lust-filled eyes of the man and his friends were all the information Ainz needed, but before he could put the peon in his place he kept talking.

"But, I like big tits, so you better make it one of those two black haired ones. They're a lot cuter than some flat boar-" That was as far as he got before, faster than the eye could see, the ranger girl had slammed a fist into his groin before lifting him over her head. The man groaned in agony as her hand crushed his sack in her strong grip. With a mighty heave that her slender frame shouldn't have been able to do, the man went flying across the room before crashing into another table.

" _Anyone else going to say anything?_ " The sickly-sweet voice of the ranger ,Veres, made all those present shudder. A fiery look from her made the ruffian's friends quake in their seats with no will to help their friend.

"Ogyaaaa—!" A scream rose up from where the man had landed, and all eyes turned to see why. A red-headed adventurer girl was bemoaning the loss of her magic potion.

"Wait wait wait! Look what you did! You destroyed my potion. I slaved and starved away to save enough money to by it and you destroyed it!" The entire room stared at her flabbergasted. They couldn't believe that someone would stand up to such a hot-tempered person.

"Um…" The ranger just blankly looked at her in return. Veres internally couldn't figure out why she was freaking out. A healing potion like that was worthless.

"I don't care. Just give me a potion or its worth in money and I'll call it good. It cost 1 Gold and 10 Silver so there's no way those bums have it." She said, thumbing the embarrassed looking friends of The Flying Man. Narberal reached for her sword to strike down the worthless insect who made demands of her Masters while Yuri and Veres just stared as they processed everything.

"Ah. F-fine. Here, this should work, right?" Ainz stepped in when he noticed Veres and the Pleiades was starting to get furious. Handing the adventurer girl a minor healing potion, he placated the parties as quickly as possible.

"Red? Well, that's fine." She took the potion, wondering about its strange color as the group walked away.

"Hey, you lot better pay for the table your friend broke. Of course, you could always try and get that group to pay for it." The bartender maliciously grinned at the suddenly panicked men as they embarrassedly grabbed their comrade to leave the tavern.

"Of course! We'll pay full price!" They practically threw some money at the bartender, making sure there was enough to cover any 'inconveniences'.

"Never seen a potion like that. You sure its worth anything?" The bartender questioned the adventurer girl. He was rather experienced and was unsure about her choice to take the mystery potion.

"No idea. But, I have a really good feeling about it." With an eager expression on her face, she excitedly gripped the ornate glass bottle.

"I can refer you to a good alchemist. Just make sure to tell me about it. Although, really, it's such a pain to deal with people like that. Well, at least it will be interesting." Everyone in the tavern looked up the stairs where the group had disappeared. On all their faces were complex expressions as they tried to figure out the disposition of such a unique group.

In the end, they could only figure that the warrior was some rich noble playboy with a harem of strong girls around him. It was just too absurd to think that _all_ of them are as strong as that ranger girl, and no man would let a woman fight for him. Besides, Blue Rose was entirely made of women, it wasn't too big a leap to say these women are the same.

* * *

The next morning, the group of four walked into the Adventurer Guild. All eyes were immediately drawn to the well-armed group. Looks of envy appeared on all the men's faces after seeing such beautiful females, while the women looked on in disgust at the way they meekly followed the armored man. One of them even had a slave collar on her neck.

The group stuck close together. Those who had been there yesterday recalled seeing them register as adventurers together, so they were obviously in the same party. Ainz stopped in front of the assignment board. Internally, he lamented the fact that he didn't know any spells or items to read the different language and the only one he had was given to Sebas.

Trying to appear confident, he grabbed one of the flyers from the board and took it to the counter. Veres barely suppressed a chuckle as she noticed his mistake. It was a minor detail, but she did have a spell that let her use other languages, so they would be able to read if she had cast it.

"We will take this job." Slamming the parchment on the counter, the girl behind it looked at him with undisclosed resentment.

"I'm sorry, but that is a Mithril ranked job. A Copper plate like you isn't allowed to take it." Ainz and Veres ignored her condescending tone, while the maids started to express their anger at the woman for such disrespect.

"I know. That's why I took it. We're strong enough to perform it and I don't want to waste time proving my strength." The harsh words made everyone who had shed sweat and blood to get to their rank judge Ainz poorly. Internally, he wanted to bow and apologize for his rude words, but it was the fastest way to get what he wanted.

"Everyone in the Guild has to follow the same rules. We can't make exceptions for people, otherwise our credibility would fall. Also, if we incorrectly place you, many could die when you ultimately fail your mission." The cold glare from the counter girl held all the emotions felt by those who had fallen in their line of work.

"Hmph, that girl with the ponytail. She is my comrade. She's a magician capable of the third tier. We are all of similar strength." A collective gasp rang out. If what he said was true, it would be impressive. Third tier was the highest any normal person could accomplish magically, and for people so young to be at the level of experts was worthy of praise.

"I- I'm sorry. But, I still can't make an exception. You'll need to take an appropriately leveled task until you are promoted." The counter girl's expression tightened. To insult someone of such strength wouldn't bode well for her, but she couldn't just ignore the rules. Plus, until he proved otherwise, this man in front of her was worse than scum for the way he treated women. Forcing a young girl to walk around with a collar was just too much.

"Well, it can't be helped. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Please give us the hardest job you can." Ainz' acceptance of the rules surprised many. The thought that he was a spoiled noble who would complain until he got what he wanted was prevalent.

"Well, if your looking for a job, we can give you one." A group of Silver ranked adventurers had come up to them, so Ainz decided to hear them out.

"Ah, thank you for your assistance. If we don't work with them we will take that job." Ainz said amicably to the counter girl before following the others up the steps to a private room.

Inside the room, the two groups went through the process of introducing themselves. Ainz ignored most of the team, only bothering to learn their names. However, the magician caught his attention. His baleful glare held a suppressed rage that puzzled Ainz. He had never met these people or done anything to them.

" _Oi, she's a Talent Holder. We should try to learn more about it."_ Veres whispered into his ear. He barely caught the use of 'she', but completely agreed with Veres. Talents were a complete mystery to them in this new world, so they needed every opportunity to learn about them, regardless of how valuable the Talent actually was.

" _I know. We should be able to get some information from them. We'll play along for now and work with them._ " Ainz tried to figure out a way to best get information from these strangers.

"Well, my Talent isn't all that impressive next to his." The magician Ninya spoke, drawing their focus back to the introductions.

"That's true." The warrior, Peter, said.

"The ability to use any magic item, huh." While the Silver-ranked group, Swords of Darkness, didn't seem overly curious about the power of that ability, the beings from Nazarick went cold.

" _That's pretty dangerous._ " Veres became especially concerned. Unlike Ainz, she still had her Divine Class Gear equipped. If those items got out they would cause absolute havoc. She also still had one of the Twenty.

" _I know. We have to be careful. We won't make any moves until we know more."_ Ainz was more curious. Learning so many new things stimulated his scholarly nature.

"Anyways, that is our team." Peter Mauk said.

"I see. I am Momon, and these are my teammates. They are Mel, Nabe, and Lily." Ainz said, gesturing to Veres, Narberal, and Yuri.

"Can I say something?" the ranger, Lukrut, asked, putting his hand up. Ainz nodded hesitantly, curious about what the energetic man had to say. The Nazerickers were surprised when he knelt in front of Yuri, while his teammates looked almost angry with him.

"I've fallen for you! Your beauty and grace knows no bounds! Please, if you ask it of me, I will break any chains that bind you!" A terrible anger started to build within Ainz. Here was this pathetic man, who knew nothing, implying he wasn't kind to his subordinates. Luckily for Lukrut, Yuri responded to his profession before he was killed.

 ***WACK***

With terrifying strength, she had chopped down on his lowered head. He instantly collapsed while a large bump started to form. He had clearly been knocked unconscious but didn't appear seriously injured. By the time he started to regain consciousness, Ainz' group had started to calm their bloodlust. While adjusting the glasses on the bridge of her nose, she proceeded to educate the forward ranger.

"I must refuse. You appear to have made an assumption based off of appearances. While it can't be helped that it might happen when first meeting someone, it is best to try to know them before acting on such impulses." Her prim and proper method of telling Lukrut off reminded them of her creator, Yamaiko.

"Thank you for your kind words! I will strive to learn more about you so that I may profess my true feelings again!" The man didn't appear to have actually learned his lesson, but his response was good enough for the moment. Looking back at the Swords of Darkness, Ainz noticed a contemplative look on their faces. With a start, he finally pieced together the dirty looks and complex expressions many people he'd met had had.

He had figured that they were envious of his apparent strength, as his armor was supposed to project, or just jealous of the beautiful women he was with. Slavery was illegal in this country, and it looked like Yuri was a slave with the choker on her neck. With their foreign looks and standout appearance, people must have guessed he was some Noble who was abusing his power by having a slave.

Wracking his brains for an excuse, he tried to find a way to explain the chokers presence. He couldn't just have her take it off. As a Dullahan, her head detached from her body, and the choker was meant to keep it in place. Thinking back to something he'd learned from the prisoners, he thought up a hopefully credible excuse.

"Ah, you guys seem to misunderstand something. If Lukrut was referring to the collar, it's a cursed item that she can never remove. If she did it would decapitate her." He inwardly praised himself when looks of understanding crossed the faces of the Swords of Darkness. It also seemed like much of the hatred emanating from the magician started to fade. On his side, Veres breathed a sigh of relief to have had the situation resolved. She really didn't want to clean up the mess if they needed to silence people.

"I see, that makes sense. A group as powerful as yours must have experienced many things, so a cursed item wouldn't be unusual. However, if we are working with you we would like to be able to trust you. Would it be possible for you two to reveal your faces?" Peter said, hoping to move the conversation back on track.

With a short glance to one another, Ainz and Veres removed their face coverings. Ainz was inwardly disappointed by the analysis their group had of his face. As he heard their whispers he was almost tempted to scream out 'I'm not old!'.

He was surprised by Veres' appearance. They had agreed to use their old human faces for their disguise, but Veres had decided to use an apparently younger version of herself. He knew she was older than he was by a couple years and had some scarring, but didn't think it would bother her so much. Instead of a middle-aged woman, what she looked like was a young woman the same age as the Pleiades with a normal face. Ainz thought she could be called slightly cute, but realized in this world she wouldn't be able to stand out in a crowd.

Peter finally felt like they had gotten a good enough look, so they moved back to the discussion of work. He went on to explain the extermination job and what would be required of them before putting in how to split their earnings.

"Ah, I was wondering. I know they're new and all, but if they're as strong as they say why do they need our help with an extermination job?" Neia said. Lukrut then started to prove his worth as a ranger by explaining the value in them working together.

"Of course not. However, that doesn't mean we shouldn't work together. Simply put, we know more about the surrounding area and the specifics of the job while they have the firepower. On our own both of us would be fine, but by working together we can intentionally hunt down larger prey we would otherwise avoid. In the end it's safer for us and more efficient for them." He explained, pointing out the use of their collaboration.

"He's right. While I could successfully scout ahead for my group, I'd waste a lot of time just trying to find a good hunting ground. With us going together I need to do less work and can focus on completing the mission. We're getting paid by the head mostly, so a higher enemy kill count makes us both better off." Veres supported Lukrut's opinion, justifying her lack of actual expertise as a ranger. She _could_ do most of the work just fine by relying on her stats, but had never tried being a dedicated ranger. She also didn't mention how she would be free to explore and enjoy the environment if there was another ranger present.

"Well, that answers that. If nobody has anymore questions we can move out right away. Is that alright with you Momon-san?" Peter said, wrapping up their discussion.

"Yes. I think we should try and get going. We'll make sure to follow you." The two parties headed out of the private room, but stopped at the top of the stairs. In the center of the guild hall was a big commotion. A young man with long blond hair covering his face stood amidst the mass of people who surged around him. Coming to the stairs was the girl from the counter. She seemed to be slightly panicked as she pushed through the crowds. Upon seeing Momon's group she called out.

"Ah, Excuse me. But, someone has made a specific request for you sir."


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm sorry, but we have already taken a job." Ainz firmly rejected the counter girl's unspoken request. This made her frantic. She had already courted danger by insulting such a (potentially) rich and powerful adventurer. If she was unable to assist the grandson of the most famous alchemist in the city, her chances would be over.

"Um. The person who requested you is Nifirea Bareare." Her eyes pleaded for Ainz to take the job.

At the mention of his name a collective gasp echoed throughout the room. The young boy in the middle of the throng stepped forward, the crowd parting like water before him.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you. I'm the one who made the request-" He amicably greeted Ainz and his group. However, Ainz cut him off by raising his hand before he could say anything more.

"I am sorry, but we have already committed to a job. We unfortunately will be unable to accomplish your commission until it's completed." At his side, Veres nodded in agreement. It would look bad on them if they just quit the job they had committed to. The fervor in the room increased. To be requested specifically is a high honor and refusing was quite rare.

"Momon-san. This is a specific request. You have to take it!" Peter eagerly encouraged Ainz' group, fully aware of the implications of a specific request.

"Still, it's only proper to perform the task we have already committed to first, no?" From the complicated expressions on many peoples' faces, Ainz figured out it wasn't quite that simple.

"I see. How about this. We will here out the details of Bareare-san's request before we make a decision. Then, we can set a date and time accordingly." Ainz said while looking to his requester for confirmation.

"I'm alright with that. My request doesn't necessarily have to be completed today." Nifirea didn't seem upset about the possible rejection.

"Good. Then, Peter-san. Would the Swords of Darkness join us too?" Ainz turned back to the startled group.

"Eh? Are you sure that's fine?" Peter's tone stressed how irregular the situation was.

"Of course. After all, your party is involved as well." Nobody could refute his logic, so they all moved to hear out Nifirea's request. As the three parties moved back into the private room the energetic atmosphere continued. Everyone as discussing the Copper-ranked adventurers that came out of nowhere making big waves.

Back in the room, the groups had to once again introduce themselves. The two adventurer teams briefly went through every member, lacking the drama and tangents from earlier. They needed to focus on the task at hand, or they risked upsetting someone who made a specific request.

"I was already introduced, but my name is Nifirea Bareare. I'm an alchemist here in E-Rantel and I regularly go out to collect herbs in the forest. There is a little village called Carne a little ways away that I use as a base to enter the Great Forest of Tob. Your job would be to protect me on the trail there and in the forest from any dangerous monsters. It's a pretty safe area so there shouldn't be any concerns, but it pays to be cautious in the Forest." He seemed genuine in his request, and it made sense for him to hire adventurers for this kind of work.

"I see. So bodyguarding huh? Peter-san, would you be willing to assist us on this request?" Ainz felt like he had a good grasp of the situation, now there was only one thing…

"Huh? Oh! Yes, that isn't a problem for us. We know the general area, and if there's any monsters along the way we can hunt them, so we fulfil both requests." Ainz got nods from the rest of the Swords of Darkness as Peter gave his consent.

"Plus, I'll really be able to show my skills as a druid in the Forest better than a ranger." Dyne said with pride. Lukrut just stuck his tongue out at the jibe from his teammate.

"That's fine. When would your teams be ready to leave?" Nifirea gave his consent to the add-on of another team to protect him. He didn't want to hedge his bets on the strength of Copper-ranks, even if they might be really powerful.

"Now, I only have one question left. Why us? We are new here, and have no reputation. It's strange for us to have been sought out so quickly." Ainz said to Nifirea with a piercing stare. Everyone leaned in to hear his answer, curious about his reason for causing such a scene. Nifirea appeared caught off guard by the pointed question. Thinking quickly, he tried to remember his excuse.

"Ah-ah. W-well. I heard there were some really powerful Copper-plates in the tavern last night. The Party I normally take moved to another city recently, so I needed new guards. I figured it would be cheaper to higher strong Copper-plates instead of the normal Gold-ranks." His explanation made sense to Ainz. Money and reputation were huge, and the scene they made yesterday ended drawing in an interesting character.

"Bullshit. There's no way a reputable person would take completely untested newby strangers with no references as bodyguards. If we are strong you have no guarantee we won't just rob you, and if we're weak than you might be getting yourself killed. Why did you really want to get to know us?" Veres on the other hand wasn't enamored by his excuse at all, and with how the boy started to panic she and the Pleiades tensed for a possible confrontation.

The Swords of Darkness got cold expressions. In their line of work trust between the clients and adventurers was critical for safety and legality. They didn't want to be drawn into some troublesome business when there appeared to be something shady.

"Eh? Ah, ah. Okay, fine. I did hear about you from the tavern incident. But, it was that potion you gave that adventurer. It isn't made by normal means, so I wanted to find out more about the strange foreigners who had it." Nifirea was completely embarrassed about being caught. He seemed like a normal and trustworthy boy who just got excited.

"Really? Is that it? Seriously? You could have just come talked to us. We're interested in learning about new items and how things work around here as well. Wouldn't that be normal in this kind of business? We don't know how long we'll be here, so we would need to buy supplies anyways." Veres relaxed quickly, the Pleiades soon after. His answer appeared to be the truth, it just didn't make sense. Ainz, however, was lamenting what he thought was a grave mistake. Now they would be drawn into troublesome things with the local alchemists.

Nifirea flushed further and tried to hide his shame by shrinking down. What she said was completely reasonable, he had just been afraid to confront strangers so openly about what could have been a very important secret.

The Swords of Darkness all remained tense though, they didn't like being lied to about something like that. While it seemed to have worked itself out they had to doubt the validity to everything else they had learned so far if such an important thing was being kept secret. What else could these two mysterious and unknown parties be hiding?

"W-well. I don't think this is something we should really keep talking about here. If it's fine with all of you, we are fine with taking this job. I think we can leave whenever you are ready." Ainz was just trying to get moving. They needed money, and they weren't making any just sitting there talking. He looked over to the still nervous Swords of Darkness to see if they were willing to stay on the job.

"It's fine with us, if there are no more big secrets we should know about. We want to know what we're getting into on a job like this." Peter said after getting hesitant approval from his teammates. Internally, Ainz was stressing about how to make sure they weren't exposed as non-humans. If that happened they'd probably have to kill them to keep them quiet.

Veres was instead wondering if it was even worth having them tag along. They already knew where Carne village was, and unless a high-level assassin wanted to kill Nifirea there wasn't any possible threats on the mission. Even then they would probably be able to protect him against anything comparable to a Pleiades. She still had most of her skills and powers available, unlike Ainz, and could use them discretely.

"Okay. I'm ready to leave whenever you are." Nifirea said brightly. The parties dove in to discussing what they'd need in terms of supplies on the trip.

* * *

The large group of people moved along at a steady pace on the well-worn path. On one side was a never-ending forest, the other was a vast expanse of open plains. As the bright sun beat down on the group, it wasn't long before the human travelers were soon all exhausted. The only one with any energy was Lukrut, and he constantly made quips and innuendos as they plodded along.

Thinking it was as good a time as any, Veres moved up to Nifirea who rode in an open wagon. They had exhausted any other topic of conversation for the moment, so she figured it was best to just deal with the conversation that was needed.

"Nifirea. Why exactly is that potion Ai-Momon gave to the adventurer girl special? It was a normal potion for us, so we don't understand the problem." Nifirea's expression noticeably brightened. By telling them about the uniqueness of their potion he could make up for his previous blunder. Plus, he was talking about his specialty.

"The reason it's so special is because it was made differently than a regular healing potion from around here. When making a normal healing potion you have to cast preservation magic on it, otherwise the quality will degrade over time. This turns the potion blue.

We don't know why your potion was different, we could only tell that it had never had preservation magic cast on it. This means the potion itself is perfect, and there were no defects in the quality of the ingredients used to make it. If we could get these ingredients or figure out how to make them it could revolutionize the potion making industry.

Of course, it might not have any impact on the effectiveness of potions, but the different techniques used to make it could improve other aspects of alchemical work or reduce the time and cost to make things. The possible benefits that learning about that potion could bring were just to good to pass up!" Nifirea was visibly getting excited about learning more about the potion.

"Well, I can't say anything to the creation process. That's outside the expertise of everyone in our group. However, we can see about you getting some ingredients to experiment with. Of course, you would need to agree to not release any information about this to anyone else, and in exchange we could arrange exclusive production rights to anything that comes about from it."

"Of course! That would be wonderful!" He seemed incredibly eager to agree to the deal.

"There is something else I want to ask about. Your Talent." The change in topic wasn't nearly as welcomed as the previous. It was generally considered taboo to ask someone about their Talent, and it showed on all the humans' faces. Ainz and Veres, though, were more interested in learning about it than committing any social faux-pas.

"Ah, I know you might not want to talk about it, but we are really curious about how it works in general. Where we are from Talents aren't a thing. People might have special abilities, but those are usually dependent on race or job." While still uncomfortable, Nifirea was willing to say a little about it, so long as they weren't pressing about it.

"What do you want to know? I'm sure others can already tell you much about it, so there shouldn't be anything else to say about it." He was cautious to give away any more details. He already didn't like the attention given to him for what was already known.

"Well, we already heard that you aren't limited by job or racial restrictions, but what about strength? For example, if you tried to use a magic sword could you activate its powers even if you aren't strong enough to lift it? Or what about items tied to a specific person? If you try to use a magic artifact that can only be used by its owner, can you trick it into working for you?" The way she looked at him made him think there was a right and wrong answer.

Nifirea wasn't too sure where this line of questioning came from. The questions themselves really shouldn't apply. He couldn't think of anything like she described besides cursed items and truly legendary equipment. Stuff he would never even see, let alone try and use. Then, he looked back at Lily, they had told him about how the choker on her neck was a cursed item. Perhaps they were trying to find ways to remove it safely?

"I don't know. I rarely use it because there isn't really any need for it. It was a complete accident that I even learned about the racial exception. It's not like I go around trying to use mysterious magic items to learn more about it." He internally breathed a sigh of relief at the way she seemed to become contemplative. At least he hadn't said anything to make her angry. He had heard what she did to that adventure in the tavern and was absolutely terrified of her strength.

"I see. Lukrut, catch." Veres suddenly lightly tossed a dagger at the ranger. When he grabbed it by the hilt, he was suddenly pulled to the ground. The unassuming dagger made of a steel-like metal weighed so much he couldn't hold it and was almost injured by its force.

"So heavy! What is that thing made of?!" He cried out while pointing at the offending weapon. All of the humans looked at her strangely as she calmly picked up the blade with no visible effort. Picking up a grown man was one thing. Waving around a magical dagger of at least comparable weight with impunity was another. Veres ignored the stares as she took the blade over to Nifirea before gently handing it to him, making sure he wouldn't drop in suddenly.

With shaking hands, he grabbed the dagger by the hilt and tried to lift it. Astonishment crossed the face of almost everyone as he held the dagger up with relative ease. Even the hidden faces of Ainz and Veres wore shock. The Pleiades watched with concealed displeasure. The implications of a mere human being able to wield the weapons of the Supreme Beings were not pleasant. They would have to watch this one closely.

"How? How is that possible!?" Lukrut cried out in astonishment. He was by no means weak, so he couldn't believe that such a slender man could lift the dagger with ease, when he couldn't even budge it. By the panicked expression on Nifirea's face he felt the same way.

"I see. Your Talent is more amazing than you can possibly realize. That is a magic item imbued with properties to limit who can use it to those of great strength. I don't believe Gazef Stronoff would be able to move it like that. And yet, here you are waving it around." There was a fair bit of wonder and amazement in Veres' voice as she took the dagger back and explained her test. What she didn't say and Ainz had noticed was that dagger had a level 60 assassin restriction on its use.

"Just who are you people!? Such powerful people at such a young age! Items and knowledge nobody else could possibly have! How did you get so great?!" Ninya cried out. After witnessing someone not much older than her effortlessly cast [Lightning] when Narberal demonstrated her power she was disparaged. She was considered a near prodigy, but had been unable to get so far by working for years. She envied strength, she needed it no matter how she got it to save her sister one day. However, when confronted by people with real power she could only feel helpless and insignificant.

"We are just travelers from a foreign land. Our power is nothing special there. As for how we got this strong, we just kept striving to get better. No matter how hard it was." Ainz' voice was full of pride. He and his friends had worked really hard for a long time to become great, and he silently preened under the misdirected compliment on their success.

The Swords of Darkness could only shake their heads at the complex feelings they had. Knowing how powerful greatness was is one thing, but seeing it for themselves was completely different.

The parties then lapsed back into silence as they each individually thought about what they had seen and learned. Eventually, they came to stop at a river, deciding to rest while they replenished their water. The Swords of Darkness and Nifirea watched with curious expressions at the interaction of Ainz and his party.

They couldn't help but to be curious about this group. They watched as the group came to rest, a clear hierarchy to their movements. Eventually, it became too much for Lukrut. He saw the way the group seemed completely at ease as they walked and wondered. He had at first thought of making a quip about Lily trusting him, but thought against it. She and Nabe were always extremely close and the beautiful magician scared him at times.

He now saw the way the three women crowded around Momon, each one eager to stay in close proximity to him. He took note of the deference paid to Mel by the other two, and Momon's seeming indifference to their jockeying.

"Ah, I have to ask, but, are you guys lovers or something?" He scratched his chin, wondering aloud how such an odd group came to be. The question drew the attention of the other humans. They thought it was rude for him to have asked, but weren't willing to pass up any new information about their strange companions.

Each group member seemed shaken in a different way by the invasive question.

"Don't be stupid! There's no way I could be his lover when he already has-" It was Nabe who had the most vocal reaction. She was cut off from saying more by Momon's large hand on her shoulder.

Lily grew incredibly flushed, a panicked expression on her face as she tried to hide behind her comrades. She obviously was too embarrassed by whatever relationship they had to say anything.

Mel grew still before shifting closer to Momon. It was clear by her actions that it was true, or at least a significant possibility. Either way, she made it clear that she was staking a claim, and one could guess that Nabe's words had been about her.

Momon was the most caught off guard by the question. It took several suppressions of his emotions for Ainz to internally calm down. The flushed faces of the NPCs and the silent Veres made his emotions continue to run high. He had never had been in a relationship, so he had no idea why they would think he had relations with _three_ women.

"Ehem. Mr. Lukrut, we would appreciate if you didn't press into our private lives. We have already had problems with this and would just like to be left in peace." He was mildly angry with the man for once again assuming something about his group. While it was much more innocent this time, it wasn't something he wanted to keep addressing.

He only absently noticed Veres shifting closer to his side. He surprised her, and himself, by reaching for her hand, grabbing it tightly in reassurance. So far, this trip had been incredibly taxing, and it had only been Veres' supporting him that had kept him sane. The wiles and strange personalities of his subordinates, coupled with the frustrating human interaction had nearly pushed him over the edge.

It was finally dawning on him just how much Veres' support meant to him. There was no way he would have been able to stay afloat without her. He would have had to completely suppress his entire personality just to keep up appearances.

Finally, the watering was done, and the group was rested. With the atmosphere completely strange, they headed out. Eventually, Lukrut stopped in front of the group. He had gone ahead to give Momon's team space and scout ahead. Now, he sensed something really bad. The rest caught up to him, stopping when they noticed his tense posture.

"You noticed it too, didn't you?" He wasn't surprised when Mel said something. Now, they just had to deal with anything coming.

"Do you think we can run?" He asked nervously. Even with what he knew about their group, what was coming was too much to defend against. Momon took stock of what was coming and made his judgement.

"Not a chance. We can't outrun the faster ones for very long, and something like that would threaten the area until it's wiped out. We have the strength, we just need to hold out and break them up. Peter-san, your team will be the rearguard. Watch our backs and protect Nifirea." They watched in awe as Momon and his team formed a defensive line.

In front, Momon and Lily stood as resolute walls to protect their comrades. In the back, Nabe and Mel stood at the ready with their long-range attacks and swords by their sides. Behind them the unwitting humans formed up defensively, with the wagon at the center of a loose circle. They would have to hold against anything that got around the other group.

Coming towards them on an angle from the nearby forest was a veritable horde of monsters. Dozens, possibly even hundreds, of goblins, ogres, barghests, greater barghests, and other forest denizens came as a veritable storm. All led by two massive trolls.


	12. Chapter 12

***Just a heads up. The POV is much more disjointed this chapter. Nazarick characters will be referred to by adventurer names (Momon, etc.) when it's an outsider talking or describing their feelings.***

The Great Forest of Tob was in chaos. **Something** had showed up recently between the territories of the Beasts of the South and West. It had slaughtered every creature in its wake. This made everything flee to the relative safety of the plains. As they ran large groups of monsters started to form around quasi-powerful individuals. The modicum of protection and strength provided drove them to assert new territories on the plains.

This was one such group. It was led by a hobgoblin and a mated pair of trolls. The trolls provided muscle alongside their much weaker but more numerous ogre cousins. The hobgoblin chieftain and his subordinates were the brains. They had collected a huge number of monsters of various sizes into a single force. Their numbers were so great and their strength so potent they could challenge one of the Three Beasts and win. But it still wasn't enough.

They now rushed away from the forest, hoping to escape to another land all together. To do so they had to cross dangerous human territory, so they tried to minimize the amount of human contact. Any witnesses would become food for the ravenous horde to protect their secrets.

The group before them looked like easy prey. They had already taken out a similar group with ease. They had the intelligence to focus on the vanguard first. The smaller goblins and faster barghests would then swarm the rearguard in the hopes of taking out their support and retreat. They knew there would be losses, but their fear of what was behind them drove them on. It just wasn't right for a goblin to scream like that.

* * *

As soon as they were in position Veres opened fire with her bow. From four hundred meters away, she had no trouble sniping the large ogres. Her powerful shots brought them down in one hit. It barely stymied the tide as the monsters charged forward. The faster barghests reached their lines first. Soon, as many as a dozen at a time would swarm Ainz and Yuri, hoping to find a purchase. The two undead just mechanically started to slaughter them.

A lazy swing of his massive longsword and two barghests were cut in two. Their magic chains didn't even slow down his terrible blade. On his side, Yuri moved with uncanny grace and speed. With a powerful swing of her armored fists the head of one of the magical canines exploded. It caught the beasts completely off guard to suddenly be outdone in speed. No matter how fast they tried to attack, Ainz and Yuri were always faster.

With a terrible howl a Greater Barghest charged the two fighters. It's size and speed were incomparable to its smaller companions. With a mighty lunge it jumped at Ainz' armored fame. He deftly maneuvered one of his swords to block the blow before countering with a powerful swing. The chain on the large creature acted like armor, taking much of the force of the blow before it broke. As the beast was flung back by his powerful swing Ainz swung again before it could recover, bisecting the monster at the waist.

The wolf-like creatures soon gave up attacking them, instead using their speed to try and go for those in the back. Those who attacked them were cut down by Narberal's blade as she defended Veres, who was still thinning out the ogres' numbers.

"[Electrosphere]!" With a mighty cry she cast her deadly magic. The orb of arcane energy landed in the middle of a large swarm of the barghests that were preparing to attack. The electricity arced between their metal chains, killing half a dozen of them at once. Narberal was nearly caught in the throat by the swipe of a Greater Barghest. The creature had tried to catch her by surprise to take her out of the fight.

"[Lightning]!" She once again cast her deadly magic. The energy went in a straight line right through the creature into the monster behind it. But it didn't die. It struggled to stand, making a desperate but powerful bite towards the magic caster to stop her from fighting.

Veres caught the movement out of the corner of her eye. Placing her spent bow on her back, she drew her sword and swiped at the injured creature. Her speed and power were no match for it in its injured state. As the flash of her sword arced through the air, its head fell to the ground independent of its body.

It wasn't long before the goblins and ogres reached the front lines. The bulky bodies of the ogres and the shear numbers of goblins were the only thing slowing down the warrior and brawler. The humans watched in awe as soon dozens of monsters were slaughtered with ease.

The two warriors put their skills to the test, using their whole bodies to fend off the hordes of monsters. At several points they would have to drop all pretense of form and just use raw strength to bat aside the scrum.

Yuri picked up an ogre by its ankle before wielding it like a baseball bat. By the time she dropped it the ogre looked more like a wet noodle. When several goblins rushed Ainz' feet he started drop-kicking them to clear out his legs. Their tiny bodies went sailing at least a dozen meters before slamming down, completely broken.

"Orichalcum, no Adamantite. There's no way such power is anything but." Peter could only watch in fascination at the crescendo of slaughter before them. Lukrut was intensely focused on picking off any goblins that started to head their way.

Soon, it became clear to the monsters the first lines wouldn't go down easily, so the goblins and barghests switched targets to the more vulnerable wagon. The group of Silver plate adventurers were embroiled in the fight of their lives as they fended off countless attacks.

Peter found himself struggling to hold back a pair of barghests. There incredible speed and sporadic magical attacks made it hard for him to effectively counter. Eventually, he made a choice. When one of the barghests attacked he intentionally overextended. This provided an opening for the other to go in for the kill.

It lunged towards him, ready to bite down on his throat. He moved quickly, barely able to keep up with the creature's impressive speed. His arm came up and he activate the Martial Art [Fortress]. Its jaws uselessly closed on his protected arm. Taking the initiative, he thrust upwards with the sword in his other hand. It's metal blade easily pierced the barghest's unprotected stomach.

With one enemy dead, Peter was able to soon overpower the other one and slay it before he was once again swarmed by monsters. All he could do was keep fighting. Even as one minor wound became three, he had no choice but to keep going.

Dyne was struggling. The only way he could effectively counter the shear numbers of goblins coming at him was to draw in a number before binding them. He'd then have to race to kill them all before they broke free or more showed up. He had already suffered a broken arm and light slash to his leg for his troubles.

He was the team's mid-liner. He had a lot of versatility, but now was being overwhelmed by being locked into one style of fighting. He had to waste precious mana healing his, and others, most serious wounds. He could already tell that he was running out of mana very quickly and would soon be useless, too exhausted to fight off his enemies.

Lukrut bounced around as much as possible. By using his speed and flexibility of weapons, he was used to plug the gaps that formed in their lines. One minute he'd be killing goblins with his sword, the next he would have to shoot down barghests that tried to make it past their lines.

He was good, and he knew it. But in the end, he could only glance at Mel's back in envy and respect. She danced across the battlefield before his very eyes. She had no trouble outpacing even the fastest monsters, and he gaped in wonder when she effortlessly launched into the scrum around the wagon to clear it out, giving all of them a much-needed breather. She then jumped right back into the front without pause.

Lukrut was a man of pride. He just couldn't bring himself to give up in the face of greatness. So, every time he slew an enemy, he moved right on too the next. Every time his friends needed help, he moved just a bit faster to aid them. He lived to improve and gain recognition for his efforts, other people's opinions of him be damned.

Ninya pushed harder and harder to clear out the stragglers. She didn't have any skill as a support to aid her friends. She could only watch silently as their wounds accumulated. She was struggling herself and barely had time to send the occasional attack spell to relieve the pressure on the heavy fighters.

"[Magic Arrow]!" With a shout, she sent out two bolts of magical energy to take out a pair of goblins who had gotten past Peter. As their bodies crumpled, Ninya collapse to one knee. The demands made on her magic so far were exhausting and she didn't have a great constitution to begin with.

With a mighty shout she stabbed her dagger into the chest of another goblin. Her black blade went to the hilt as she poured all her strength into the attack. Struggling to stand, she tightly gripped her staff in support. She couldn't give up now. She had finally seen the light. Finally seen the strength necessary to find and free her sister, consequences be damned.

Nifirea crouched on the top of his wagon. Every so often he would cast one of the few attack spells he knew or throw a bottle of alchemical products to take out what enemies he could. He kept his head down to stay safe. A hobgoblin archer and some regular goblins had started shooting at any target they could see. It proved a dangerous distraction that had already injured Lukrut once.

He wasn't a fighter, and he knew it. But he couldn't just abandon those who were protecting them. There was no hope of escaping, and if they fell he stood no chance of survival. Finding a prime target in a barghest fighting Dyne, he aided the flagging druid by binding it with a solution of alchemical glue. He looked down in despair as he noticed it was the last of the bottles he had.

Suddenly, he had a really bad feeling. As a large shadow grew over him, he turned to face the open maw of a Greater Barghest leaping through the air towards him.

Ainz watched The Swords of Darkness fight for their lives. He was impressed by their ability to coordinate and cover each other's weaknesses. It reminded him of the days of old, adventuring and exploring as a guild with his friends.

A primal shout drew his attention back to the fight. With his strength he had been butchering these low level beasts with ease. It had become so monotonous that he zoned had out. Now, charging straight at him and Yuri was the pair of trolls and a team of hobgoblins.

'* _Sigh*, What a pain.'_ Dealing with the regeneration of the trolls was going to be annoying. His attacks weren't imbued with any magical properties, so any wound would be recovered quickly. He would need to get Veres or Narberal to finish the trolls off once he had weakened them.

The two trolls rushed towards Yuri, hoping to use their size to overpower her. They soon got into a slugging match as the two demi-humans tried to beat down the Dullahan. It would have been comical to watch a tiny woman like her boxing with trolls, especially as she struck heroic poses and sent the beasts flying.

"Haah-!" with her fist outstretched, she uppercut one of them, her incredible strength sending it flying. When the other struck out at her, she jumped on its arm, racing up the limb before headbutting it. A sharp crack signified its broken neck.

The other troll had recovered, swinging a stone tipped club down on her. With impressing speed, she stepped into its reach and struck a solid blow to its abdomen. There was such force behind it that its stomach seemed to explode out its back. Until they could be finished off with magic, the trolls were out of the fight.

Ainz on the other hand was getting frustrated. The right hobgoblins in front of him were the elites, and their skilled showed it. While their stats were inferior to his by far, they worked well in tandem to deflect lethal blows and protect each other.

Finally, he'd had enough. With a mighty heave he threw one of his swords at a hobgoblin druid that kept trying to bind him. Shock appeared on its ugly face as the sword cut through the air, impaling the druid on its haft when it stopped several meters away.

With a hand now free, he used his higher stats to grab one of the hobgoblin warriors by the skull. With ease he crushed it like a grape before tossing the corpse at a ranger. The heavy corpse moving at high speed slammed into the ranger, taking it out of the fight.

With fewer people to block and attack, Ainz was able to bear down on the remaining hobgoblins. It only took him another minute to bisect or behead them all. With the deaths of their leaders, the remaining monsters got desperate. They now tried to kill any of the weaker humans with panicked movements, hoping to strike one down to provide an opening to escape.

Ainz was finally free from the nuisances. Observing the battlefield, he took note of the many corpses piled up around his comrades. They had fended off every attack with ease, not even suffering a minor injury. The exertion did show though. The lower-level Narberal was breathing a bit heavier than normal.

He turned to watch as the humans tried to finish off the last enemies. They were obviously tired and injured, but they should come out alive if they didn't make any egregious mistakes. But, his kinetic vision caught movement in the back.

' _Crap! If he dies we won't get paid! Plus, we won't learn any more from him!'_ Indeed, A Greater Barghest was lunging at Nifirea. Its massive frame and open jaw bore down on him at an alarming rate. There was no way one of the humans could fend it off and he was too far to do anything in the moment. With Veres distracted, he only saw one way to kill it before it could harm the boy.

"Nabe! Save him!" He shouted, drawing her attention. She noticed the beast and understood her Master's orders. A regular lightning would be too weak to kill it in one hit, so it might still be able to harm the insect (Nifirea), causing them to fail their mission. They had already arranged what she could do if they were ever pressed too much.

"[Dragon Lightning]!" Her hand outstretched, a dragon-shaped arc of energy poured forth. It surged forward like a charging beast, maw open to swallow its prey whole. It raced past the shocked Swords of Darkness, slamming home into the creature. The force of the bolt thrust it away just before it could hit Nifirea, saving him from injury.

Electricity arcing through its frame, the Greater Barghest shuddered and fell still, dead. It was the last powerful monster, and the other beasts had been using its opening as a chance to escape. Now that that opening was gone, the fled as fast as they could in any direction, hoping to get away from the slaughter.

With a nod from Ainz, he and the rest of his party hunted them down to the last. The Swords of Darkness were too beat up to help so they stayed to watch Nifirea. While they tried to recover, they looked at the bloodbath their traveling companions had wrought. Disbelief was present on their faces as they saw the veritable sea of corpses around them.

When they were finally done hunting down the stragglers, Ainz' team finished off the trolls before going to help the humans. When they saw all of the wounds, and that their only healer was exhausted and probably out of mana, Ainz decided to help them.

"Here. This should heal you." He handed Peter and Dyne healing potions. The two had been the most grievously injured and he didn't think they should use whatever consumables they had when Ainz could help them and raise some good will.

"Thank you." Peter said with a grimace. The two sighed in relief as their wounds healed instantly with the application of the potion.

"[Light Heal]" Taking the que, Veres healed the other injured with a minor spell. She only used a first-tier spell to conceal her higher abilities. They had already had to reveal Narberal's ability to cast fifth-tier spells. Too many questions would be asked already, so minimizing their perceived ability was needed.

The spell wasn't quite strong enough to heal all their wounds, but it made them able to function properly again. Lukrut and Ninya were thankful for the healing. Nifirea hadn't been injured from where he'd been in the wagon.

"Amazing. Amazing. I can't believe someone as young as you can use fifth-tier magic. That's in the realm of heroes. Only the leader of Blue Rose has been able to do something like that." Ninya looked at Narberal with eyes full of adoration.

"Seriously, how did you all get so strong? I don't think I've ever heard of anyone as strong as you all. I was jealous of you for having beautiful women following you around, but after seeing your strength I can see why they follow you. You really are amazing Momon-san." Peter heaped accolades onto the most perfect warrior he had ever seen. Ainz could only embarrassedly deny it.

"Of course." The pride in Narberal's voice as she praised Ainz with her first genuine smile they had seen just made the embarrassment worse.

"W-well. We should get moving as soon as we can. We can search the bodies while you rest up and prepare the wagon. We should try and leave from here as soon as possible." Ainz said, sobering the relieved and joyful mood. They had to get to Carne village to make sure it was okay then get back to the guild to report on the strange events. If there were more hordes like this then every village in the region was in danger.

 ***And that's a wrap. I don't write fight scenes a whole lot so let me know how I did. In other news, I know I have been gone for a little while. Real life can be absorbing and I can be lazy. The next chapter is started and I hope to keep the release under 2 weeks.***


	13. Chapter 13

***I am happy for the feedback on the fight scene. As for many of your noted concerns, I never said Narberal was exhausted, just breathing more heavily like in her fight with Khajiit. I even chose Narberal over Yuri for a reason, so there's no reason for you to** _ **lose your**_ _ **heads**_ ***ba dum tss*. I'm an awful person aren't I?***

Nine people sat around a small campfire with bowls of soup. The Swords of Darkness and Nifirea dug into the simple fare with gusto. They were famished after the hard battle earlier. On the other side, Ainz and his party were much more reserved.

The two maids didn't eat anything. With no need to eat due to magic items or race they weren't interested in the human food. Veres and Ainz just played with the food in their bowls. The food was simple and meant to be easy to transport and store, so the taste was rather salty and bland.

After eating a few meals in Nazarick it became difficult to slog through the food. It wasn't even as good as the industrial mass-market food of Japan. That food had been engineered to appeal to the tastes.

For Ainz, eating became an adventure all its own. As a skeleton he didn't have the normal parts needed for eating, and if he wasn't careful it would just fall through his jaw. To eat he needed to activate his Undead Touch racial skill.

When in contact with food in his 'mouth' he was able to taste things. The skill would then destroy the food, turning it to dust. It also increased the sensitivity of his sense of touch, making things feel 'normal' instead of as if he was wearing gloves.

The challenges of eating like this were numerous. The most pressing one was for him to have to control his skill to not hurt those around him. It had been quite the scare when he touched a maid and she fell over dead. The anger he'd focused on himself for hurting his friends' children, even accidentally, took a long time to abate.

Luckily, they were able to resurrect her using the Guild Control system and she had woken up without memories of the incident, but otherwise fine. It was a thankfully cheap and easy way to test another function of the base, and he was relieved that it worked properly. Feeling guilty, he 'rewarded' her with assisting him for rest of the day when she refused time off.

Now, he ate carefully to not break the illusion placed on his face. While it was much stronger than normal using some of Veres' skills, it could still be broken. He also had to focus the Undead Touch into only his mouth, so he didn't accidently kill one of the humans if he brushed up to them. It was an exercise in control of his body's functions that took great effort.

Eventually, he gave up eating as being too much effort for too little. He and Veres stopped eating, putting their half-eaten bowls down in front of them. As everyone finished eating, the humans took out their damaged and used equipment to make any repairs they could, as well as properly care for their equipment. The way they cleaned and cared for their equipment made it obvious that they were professionals.

"Na-Nabe-san. Would you be able to tell me how you learned such powerful magic? I really want to learn more and get stronger. If I could learn from someone like you, who has reached the realm of heroes, I could finally reach my goal and save my sister." Ninya asked. She was hesitant to ask the reserved and at times hostile mage but wanted to learn how she could get stronger.

"Shut up inferior lifeform (Gadfly). It would be a waste of time for me to teach someone like you." The words spoken in response were harsh. They didn't quite understand the emotions behind those words, but all of the humans could tell that it meant Ninya didn't have the talent needed. When Ainz saw the saddened visage of the young adventure in front of him he felt obliged to say something.

"Ehem. Ah, it might not be the best idea for you to follow the same path as Nabe. You saw what she could do earlier, but that is truly the extent of her power. Even though she can use fifth-tier spells, she is rather limited in the range of spells she can use." An expression of understanding crossed the faces of Ninya and Nifirea. As magicians, they understood what he meant.

"Why is that Momon-san? Wouldn't she have needed to learn lots of spells to get to such a high level?" Peter didn't understand though. As a warrior he knew that you needed to learn the basics and build from there. You couldn't just skip steps to get more powerful.

"That's because she's an elementalist. She focused solely on lighting magic in her training, and now can't use many attack spells outside of [Lighting] based attacks. Of course, she was able to achieve higher tiers much more easily and with more powerful attacks within her expertise. In the end, she trained in specialization over general performance." That explanation Peter could understand.

As a warrior, there were many styles he could learn from. Many more skilled warriors would even make up their own styles. These styles became quite potent if one spent years mastering them, but in turn would be weak to certain counters instead. It truly comes down to a Jack of All Trades or Master of One choice.

"But wouldn't that also mean certain counters would be very effective against her?"

"Correct. That, as well as explaining and proving her abilities were too much effort and risk when we are still strangers, is why we only said she could use 3rd tier magic."

"I apologize for my lack of skill." Narberal seemed to be genuinely remorseful in her inability to use more powerful or useful skills to serve her Master.

"Hey, hey. It's still pretty impressive what you have been able to do. For someone so young to be that good takes a lot of talent. Surely you have some advice for our aspiring mage here, right?" Peter asked, clapping Ninya on the back.

"Well, you would probably know by now if you are skilled as an elementalist. Also, it never hurts to learn new skills. If you can't keep up with your comrades physically you may get them killed." The finality in Momon's tone made Ninya gulp. Thinking back on the battle from earlier, she realized just how right Momon is. Whenever they were put in a physically demanding situation she would only slow everyone down. Perhaps adding some endurance or minor weapons training would be best. She'd need to ask Lukrut to help her train after this job.

"Well, in terms of talent, I think you have all of us beaten. You and Mel were monsters out there." Lukrut's light tone shifted the topic masterfully. Unfortunately, his words made a certain skeleton incredibly nervous.

"Really? I don't think our strength is that amazing. Plus, you've seen our faces."

"No, that's not what I mean. You're different from us, even from Nabe and Lily. The two of you are really magnificent. At first, I was jealous of you for having beautiful women following you, but with your strength it really makes sense. Honestly, you must have been on some amazing adventures to get so strong."

"Yes, it was really fun. There was us, a Paladin, a Monk, and a Nin- Thief." They could all hear the melancholy in his voice. His heavy tone and the downcast look of the party made them think something bad had happened to their friends.

"Well, I'm sure one day you'll find comrades like them again!"

"That will never happen." Ninya's uplifting tone was crushed by Ainz's harsh refute. The tone became heavy as they all felt the pain he felt from losing his friends.

"Excuse me. I want to check the perimeter for more monsters in case we missed any." Ainz put forth a lame excuse to get away from them. The fresh wound of being abandoned in YGGDRASIL was still very painful, even with his undead state his emotions could take control at times.

As he walked away, the humans watched his female party members move to follow after him. A harsh glare full of bloodlust from Mel made the other two sit down. She had no interest in letting the two beauties comfort Momon. The unwitting humans were made painfully clear of the hierarchy within the other team as the young masked ranger followed after Momon's armored figure.

"Ah, what a blunder." Was all Lukrut could say to the suddenly dreary atmosphere. They could all tell how sensitive a topic their former comrades were for Momon's team.

"I did something really bad didn't I?" Ninya was distraught by how she'd hurt Momon. She knew exactly what it was like to lose someone close and she had brought up replacing them insensitively.

"There's nothing you can do about it now. Just make sure to apologize to him later. By the way, what kind of relation do Momon and Mel have? They're more than friends, right?" Peter tried to move on to a (hopefully) less tricky topic. They were all surprised by the complex expressions on the normally stoic beauties.

"Well. Yes, but I don't think in the way you mean. They traveled together for years, and were the closest out of all of the Supreme Ones. With the others gone, they have gotten closer." Lily hesitantly said. It was clearly something they didn't want to discuss with outsiders, but they didn't feel like there was a choice.

"We'll just have to make them close the distance then." Lukrut proclaim, full of energy. All the humans started cheering as they thought up ways to drive their super-human companions together.

The two disguised maids looked out towards where their beloved Master's went with small smiles on their faces. They would do anything to please them, and nobody, nobody, in Nazarick disputed their potential relationship. Even though these humans were inferior, there was a chance they could help their Masters find happiness, and that was worth taking.

"Plus, if a man like that gets taken we would finally have a chance. Ah, my beautiful Lily. Please aid me in bringing them together, so I may learn how to express my love fore you!" Lukrut's sudden and strange cry was followed by a harsh smack from Peter. His outlandish dreams and proclamations of being with such a beauty already following a future legend dispersed the remaining clouds over their conversations, and they all traded stories and dreams around the campfire as the night wore on.

* * *

Veres stood silently behind Ainz. After an obligatory walk around the camp he sat down in front of a large boulder. He hadn't even once noted her presence.

"They're all gone, huh." He said, more to himself than Veres.

"Damn it! We spent so long! So many hours, so much money! All for what!? Most of them never even bothered to say goodbye. It's almost, almost like it never even mattered!" Without a need to conceal his feelings from the only other person, he let all the dark emotions boil out. Even with his emotions suppressed, there was still a frothing resentment simmering in his heart over the loss of his friends. Only strong emotions were suppressed, so that small kernel of resentment was bared for him to feel.

"It didn't. At least not for them." Veres' cold words made Ainz snap his head over to her. He could feel her distaste for the way things ended, and some small part of him wondered if she was right.

"To them it was a fun game to spend their free time on and enjoy exploring. How many of them gave up everything for Nazarick? Not just their free time and money, how many actually made it their lives? Only you." It hit Ainz like a truck. She was right. The biggest reason they all stayed in the game and together was because it was fun. Because they were winning. Even he nearly quit after being PKed so many times, and if their first raid as a guild hadn't gone so well they probably would have broken up, many leaving the game to find some new enjoyment.

"What about you? You stayed to the end, even though you didn't exactly have an easy time at the start. Why stay?" He spoke with baited breath.

"I was in a dark place when we met. Why I stayed that long was out of convenience and commitment, I didn't want to just give up what I'd worked for without a fight. But, once I joined the Guild, it was fun again. Not because we were winning, or some dream I wanted to fulfil. It was just, fun. I finally had people around me who treated me well, and I wasn't so alone. As time went on and people started leaving, it was still fun." That didn't make sense. When people started leaving they stopped the large raids and epic quests. They had already learned so much about the game and had their golden age.

"What was fun wasn't the quests or anything. What was fun, was you. You made me feel normal again, like I wasn't some invalid. You treated me like a normal person and got me to go out and do things. **That** is why I stayed with you to the end. And why I'll stay with you now." Ainz was speechless. He had always known she cared about him, but this seemed a bit much. He couldn't respond as she came and sat down between his legs. He didn't have the cognitive power to do anything when she leaned back into him. He absently held her when she grabbed his armored hand, pulling around her smaller frame.

"You know, this world really is amazing. I don't think I can ever get used to it, and I'd hate to see this world lose its beauty like ours." Veres commented, looking up into the clear night sky.

"Ah-yeah." They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they enjoyed the quiet night.

As the night went on, they both thought about what the future would bring. They were in a world full of unknowns without a clue as to why or how. They didn't even know if they were alone here, but they probably weren't. Would other players be as calm as they are? How would they react to Nazarick, especially given their history?

That made Ainz think about how he met Veres. The Guild had run into her trying to fight off several players on her own. She really didn't stand a chance and the guild attacking her, Seraphim, wasn't exactly friendly with Ainz Ooal Gown. They would hunt players and beings they thought were 'evil' and torment them for sport. It was all the reason they needed to help butcher them.

The hard part had come after. A lot of the Guild didn't want to add a new member after the Three Burning Eyes incident. It had taken all of his negotiation skills and experience as Guild Leader to get enough people to let her join. Add on that Veres was originally in a light orientated guild that was allied with Seraphim, and most didn't trust her at all. For months she was kept at arms-length by almost everybody.

He hadn't though. When he heard that she had been targeted because of her racial classes, he felt a sense of comradery with his own experience of being hunted. Plus, Veres just seemed to like to hang around him and with their complimenting builds, they became good friends.

It was because of this he felt he had to say something about his feelings. They had been ripped from their old lives, yet he was overall enjoying it. It could be stressful dealing with the NPCs, but with Veres around he could let go every now and then.

"I don't want to go back, not really. There's just so much more in this world." Ainz spoke from his heart. He didn't want to lie about it when the girl literally in his arms had voiced her feelings. Veres looked back at him, a curious glimmer in her eyes.

"Do you want to stay? We could rule Nazarick, live out our biggest fantasies."

"You aren't going to try and go back? Even if you were given an opportunity?"

"No, not if going back means leaving you, leaving all of this. I, I like being strong and capable. I like to be able to go out and do whatever I want whenever I want to. I even like having the maids serve my every whim when they aren't over-bearing. And, if staying here means I can stay by your side, then I won't go back."

Ainz wasn't sure what that meant. He could tell how much happier she was at times, but was it really because of him?

"What do we do then? The NPCs, they see us as gods. Can we really live up to their expectations? I don't want to lose what's left of everything we built." Veres could feel his hesitation at being a ruler. He had been thrust into the position of a king without any notice, and now so much was expected of him.

"We have fun as gods. Nazarick is our home. I don't think we can live up to all their expectations, so we should just be the best rulers we can be. You are already perfect for the job. You brought the guild together and made us so successful.

The NPCs, they have become so much more then their programming, and they'll keep growing over time. What they think isn't going to change my opinion of you, so should we really force them to be anything else?"

"…Damn it. It's all just so much. I don't know how we are going to manage everything. A game is one thing, but real life…"

"I know. What ever happens, I'll stay by your side." As Veres burrowed into his embrace the two talked and laughed the night away. Bitter-sweet memories about days gone by and light-hearted quips at each other's expense passed the time for the two immortals.

 ***I decided to make Ainz able to eat for a couple reasons. To me it makes no sense for him to not have a sense of taste when he has every other sense. So, I went with his undead touch having some abilities. We really don't know how his racial passives work and he shut it off in the LN. Just thought it would be a good way to add a few new (minor) physical abilities without changing his character. He needs to get that missing bone somehow.***


	14. Chapter 14

The party looked up at the heavy gate of E-Rantel. They had finished the rest of the mission with little effort. There had been quite a scare for the humans when the Wise King of the Forest had assaulted their party, but Momon's team was able to suppress it. They could only stare in wonder at the magnificent beast who the Dark Hero now road on. To see such a powerful and magnificent beast swear loyalty to a man meant he was destined for great things.

As they entered the fortress city, everyone turned and stared at the mythical magical beast who calmly walked down the streets. Gasps of awe and whispers abounded as everyone wondered who the mysterious adventurer riding its back was.

For his part, Ainz just rode on the oversized hamster's back in shame. He felt like a grown man on a merry-go-round as everyone looked at him.

' _Is this really okay? Well, there's nothing to do about it. I guess I should pick a name. Hamsuke, no Daifuku would work…'_ Ainz wondered what he would name the giant hamster he rode. When he saw the looks of awe and praise from the humans he just didn't have the heart to get rid of it. Also, if he was honest with himself, it _was_ a good publicity stunt to have a legendary beast serve as his mount. He just wished he didn't feel so stupid while riding it.

"Ah, I can handle it from here. Why don't you come by later to pick up your reward? I'll even give you a bonus for how successful we were." Nifirea stopped the wagon at an intersection, his home down one road.

"Alright, we need to register at the Guild, then we'll come by and help you unload." Ainz watched as The Swords of Darkness discussed what they would do now that their job was over.

"Ah, we'll help you unload. Ninya will go to the Guild and report the large mob we came across. If there are more out there like that, then they are a real threat to the surrounding area." Peter declared. Unfortunately, Ainz wouldn't be able to report the incident at the guild. Because they were still Copper-plates, them wiping out such a band of monsters was just unbelievable, so they needed to rely on the reputation of their silver-ranked traveling companions to validate the story.

It didn't take long for Ainz to complete the registration for his new mount, Hamsuke, but he and his party were then dragged into a private room by a frantic looking receptionist. Inside, Ninya and the Guild manager were going through everything that had been reported on the attack from earlier. The Guild manager had a look of complete shock as he read through the details of the event that the receptionist had written down.

"Ah, Momon-san. Can you give your side of the story about the attack from earlier please? It is too outlandish to believe, so please leave nothing out. I know that you may not want to give any secrets away, but nothing you say in this room regarding your abilities will leave this room." The Guild manager looked incredibly professional as he quietly listened to Ainz' account of the events. He made sure to leave nothing out in terms of events, but didn't give any information regarding specific abilities, just enough information to detail what happened.

"To think that someone so young can use Fifth-tier magic…incredible. Well, I think you are holding back on your abilities, but you corroborated the story well enough. We will send out scouts to confirm the report and look for more hordes. Please stay around E-Rantel for now. We will need to evaluate an appropriate reward for the service you have done, and we may have further need of your skills." Ainzach had a very serious expression on his face as he determined what needed to be done. If their report was to be believed, then any more hordes in the area would be a grave threat to even the cities. Only the greatest of Adventurers, the coveted Adamantite rank, could hope to stem the tide. For the party sitting before him to be able to defeat them with ease could only mean they were of heroic proportions.

"Ah, yes… We don't plan on leaving this town just yet. Please call upon us if you need our help… If that is all, then we must finalize our request with Mr. Bareare." Ainz made to get up but was stopped by a look from the Guild manager.

"There is one more thing…What can you tell me about what happened in Carne Village?" Ainzach asked, a focused look on his face. What he had heard second-hand from the silver-ranked adventurer about Carne village was just as, maybe even more outlandish than the battle they had.

' _Crap! Do they suspect something?... No, realistically, there is no way for them to know I have anything to do with what happened.'_ Ainz was worried that his cover was blown, or that the guild would make trouble for Nazarick in the future. He did his best to play dumb and deflect the question.

"Ah… I, I don't really know. Just some rumors I heard from the villagers. There was a battle there between some knights, monsters, and the Kingdom's troops. I couldn't tell you how real they are." Ainz didn't reveal anything to Ainzach, hoping he would go somewhere else for answers.

Ainzach looked at Ainz suspiciously. To hear about monsters, especially undead, helping humans was rare. Any adventurer would devour all the information they could about such a situation. It gave a lot of credence to his backstory of being a foreigner, but also deepened the mystery of who Ainz and his partners were.

"Well, thank you for the information. I will send a request to the capital to find out about those troops from the Kingdom. If it has to do with the Head Warrior and his band showing up with serious casualties, then there may be trouble. You can go now, I don't think there is more we can do tonight." Ainzach went back to reading the report on the attack, ignoring the departing adventurers.

Ainz and his party respectfully left the room, Ninya tailing them out. Outside, they noticed a crowd had gathered around Hamsuke as they all marveled at the sight of such a powerful beast.

"Are we going Milord?" Everyone gasped when they heard the magical beast talk. It was a sure sign of strength and wisdom. As Ainz approached, everyone gossiped about him, wondering who he was to command such a magnificent beast. None of them believed he could really be a Copper-plate when they noticed the small piece of metal around his neck.

"Yes, hold still." With the impressive agility his stats afforded him, he leapt onto Hamsuke's back, idly debating what he should do about a saddle. As they made ready to leave, an old woman stepped forward out of the crowd. Many people respectfully gave her room when they recognized her.

"What a magnificent beast." The wizened old lady looked at Hamsuke in fascination. It wasn't every day people saw such a creature.

"Ah, *Ehem*… Yes, it's the Wise King of the Forest." Ainz did his best to ignore the gasps as he gave the title of the beast he rode. He ignored the hamster as she puffed up with pride at being recognized.

"So this is that magnificent beast! You, you wouldn't happen to be the adventurers my grandson hired?" She shot him a questioning look.

"Correct. We had some business to attend to at the guild, so he went back to unload without us." Ainz looked over at Ninya, who seemed eager to get back to her teammates and finish the job.

"Well, why don't I lead you over? We can get everything settled right away." They quickly made their way towards the shop. When they got there, Ainz wondered why no one was unloading the goods still in the wagon. As the grandmother, Lizzy, went in calling out for her grandson Ainz rushed into action. Even though it was dark, his senses and skills told him of the three undead within the building.

He rushed past a startled Lizzy, pushing forward with his large frame. As everyone else followed him in, now on alert, Ainz moved to destroy the threat. With a mighty kick he broke down the door to the cellar. Soon, the three zombified remains of the Swords of Darkness members lunged at them with killing intent.

"EEK! ZOMBIES!" Lizzy cried out. She fell behind the defensive posture of the adventurers as Ainz bulled forward. With a mighty swing he decapitated the reanimated corpses of Peter and Lukrut. With another mighty swing he forced Dyne's remains back, a fortuitous block with his mace making Ainz swing again, cleaving his skull in two.

"Nifirea? Nifirea!?" As Lizzy ran through the shop looking for her grandson, Ainz looked coldly at the remains before him.

"Protect her. The building should be clear but be careful." Ainz instructed the two Pleaides. They quickly departed to watch over the hysterical woman, alert for any dangers.

"NO! NOOOO!" Ainz looked on in silent pity as a broken Ninya looked at her fallen comrades. The young girl broke down into pitiful sobs as she mourned over the loss of her comrades.

"DO SOMETHING! I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES! PLEASE! BRING THEM BACK!" The young girl screamed hysterically at Ainz and Veres as they just looked on in silence. Even if they tried to use resurrection magic, there was no guarantee it would work. Their bodies had suffered tremendous damage between Ainz and the torture they went through before death. Plus, they had already been turned undead. He had no idea if it was even possible for it to work after something like that.

"Momong, Momon-kun, we need to track them down. They took the boy." Veres said from the side. She looked on without remorse at the humans who they had traveled with being destroyed. They weren't anything of note, and they didn't help her goals in any way. She didn't even feel pity for the tragic state their bodies were in. But, it wouldn't be good if their requester was killed.

"Hm…Yes. Please find out what you can. I'll look around for more clues." Ainz pulled a sobbing Ninya out of the room so Veres could work. As she could still use her magic without dropping her disguise, she could try and find where Nifirea was taken quickly. Ainz focused on making sure there were no more surprises and watching over Ninya to make sure she didn't do something stupid.

It wasn't long before the rest of the house was secure and Veres had found Nifirea. Everyone gathered in the basement, Ninya struggling to focus as she paid her respects to her lost friends.

"We know where they took him, but there's a problem. He is currently surrounded by an army of undead, and the perpetrators will surely fight back." Veres described what she saw, making it clear that it shouldn't be easy for anyone to rescue him.

"Please! Rescue him! I'll give you anything you want!" Lizzy was desperate to get her grandson back. After the death of his parents, her family, he was all she had.

"Ho? Anything?" Ainz asked, his mind flitting through what he could take.

"Then, Everything." Ainz said with finality. Veres watched coldly as Ainz gave their steep price. Ninya was too lost in her grief to notice what was going on. She had just lost the only people she still had left and barely clung to hope.

"You… Are you demons?... They say demons will demand your soul as payment." Lizzy looked on in mild fear and shock at the steep price demanded of her.

"Does it matter? I doubt there is anyone else you can turn to if you want to save your grandson in time. So, what will it be?" Ainz challenged, his massive frame looming in her visage as Lizzy made her choice.

"Fine… Please, save my grandson!" She said with determination. No price was too steep to save her family.

"Excellent. Please inform the guild about the undead army, so they can alert the town. It would be disastrous if they spilled over." Ainz commanded. His party boldly headed for the door, keen on defeating whoever had kidnapped the boy.

"Please! Take me with you!" Ninya cried out as they left. She wanted, no, _needed,_ revenge for her fallen comrades.

"No." Came the blunt reply of Veres. Ainz nodded in agreement.

"You're too weak and would only get in the way. Protect her and make sure the townspeople are safe." At the harsh appraisal of her ability (or lack thereof), fresh, hot tears started to stream down her face at the realization that Mel was right. She was no hero. She was just a slightly above average girl with a bit of talent. There was no way for someone like her to stand a chance against anyone who could kill her team like that.

There was no way for her to be strong enough to save her sister.

She was just a girl, way out of her league, and she could only stare at the backs of Ainz' heroic party as they went off to save the city. She stood catatonically, tears streaming down her cheeks silently as her harsh reality came crashing down. Everyone she knew, everyone she cared for, was gone from her forever. As Lizzy tried to comfort her, it was all just a dull drone in her ear as her world shattered.

Ainz and his team made there way towards the large cemetery Nifirea was being held in. Soon, they were in sight of the gate, and could see the guards running in panic and fear. A massive undead conglomerate rose above the stone walls, bearing down on its living pray. The party came to a stop as they met the guards where they calmly ignored the guards who told them to leave.

Just because he was a Copper-plate, it didn't mean he was weak.

"Nabe, my sword." As he was passed the slab of metal, he hefted the large blade with ease. With a mighty heave he threw it and the guards all turned in wonder as the blade sank into the giant undead. The force of the blade sent the monster crashing down with a tremendous sound.

"Nabe, Hamsuke, stay here. Don't let the undead escape the cemetery." Ainz calmly ordered the two to stay behind. He wanted people who showed up to repel the undead to take note of his party's strength, and the two would be the better ones to leave behind. After hearing their acknowledgment, he leapt over the massive wall with ease, his cape fluttering behind him. Yuri and Veres soon followed him as their tremendous strength cleared away the horde of undead.

Once they were away from the gate, they moved swiftly through the empty cemetery. They ignored the droves of low-level undead they passed, instead choosing speed over beating the scrum around them. With Yuri and Ainz being undead, and Veres concealing herself with her abilities, they were largely ignored as they swiftly made there way towards the epicenter of the disaster. They were soon in sight of a mausoleum with several robed figures chanting in a circle.

"Khajiit-sama, they are here." One of the robed figures said rather loudly.

"Yup, there's one idiot." Ainz silently agreed with Veres' assessment. You don't give away information like names just like that. The bald man in the center, Khajiit, just scoffed at his subordinate's stupidity before focusing on the intruders.

"You must be pretty strong to get all the way here." He called out, trying to read his mysterious opponents. He could tell they were adventurers, but he had no clue as to how they got through the hordes of undead. Only a warrior of great skill could get through so many undead, but he didn't know of anyone of note in the town. The highest rank in town is Mithril, and it would take them time to get through the horde.

Plus, he had a pair of surprises, ready to attack from above and below at a moments notice.

"Ah, it must be a nice night for a ritual. We're looking for a young boy, have you seen him?" They taunted him from the other side of the clearing. It didn't make sense. How could someone have responded so fast? How much did they know? Who were they?

"Fool, I decide if it's a good night for a ritual. How did you find us?" Quietly, Khajiit and his disciples started to prepare for battle.

"One of you took something. I didn't know trophies were in fashion." Veres said, watching out for the last opponent.

"Corr~ect~. Your good~. The name's Clementine~." When Khajiit heard the mocking voice, he turned to glare at his accomplice. As she fluttered her cloak, one could see the gleaming metal underneath that were her trophies. He was furious with her for giving someone a chance to find them.

"It doesn't matter. We will destroy yo-" Khajiit was cut off when Veres charged forward. With speed impossible for even Clementine to follow, she set upon the cultists in brutal fashion. In seconds she had used her bare hands to rip the magicians to pieces. Blood and viscera went flying as their dismembered corpses were strewn about the courtyard. It was so quick that they couldn't even let out a strangled cry before all of them lay broken at her feet. Khajiit was in the middle of the bloodbath, his precious orb rolling on the ground next to his dismembered arms. Eyes shining viciously, she turned to Clementine.

She tried to run. She knew she was fast, but what she had just witnessed wasn't human. It didn't matter what happened to the town or her associates, so long as she survived. She hadn't gotten more than a few steps before Veres was on her. A few swift hits and she was completely incapacitated, her legs shattered beyond use. Veres then threw the now unconscious woman over her shoulder and started walking back towards Ainz.

"What? They could have information." Ainz and Yuri looked at her worryingly. Veres had gone out of her way to brutalize the people she had butchered, not caring about revealing her inhuman abilities. With a quick word, a Gate was summoned, and the two ringleaders were thrown into the workstation of a startled interrogator. As the Gate was de-summoned, Ainz and Veres made their way down into the mausoleum to retrieve the boy.

"Okay, seriously. How did I mess up?" Veres wondered. Ainz hadn't spoken to her since the fight had ended.

"…I wanted to fight them… I need experience as a warrior." Ainz said, a bit miffed at not being able to fight. Veres just stopped to look at him for several seconds before she started to giggle. Ainz awkwardly tried to avoid her gaze as they kept walking further.

"Heh-heh…Ah… Well, if you want experience with fighting as a warrior, why don't you spar with Cocytus?" Ainz just kept silent. He didn't want to say it was embarrassing to have to learn _everything_ from his own subordinate. He wanted to learn _some_ things on his own.

Shortly, they happened upon a large room with a glowing magic circle. At the center of the circle was Nifirea. As they approached, they could see his eyes had been slashed and he had been dressed in transparent items to boost the ritual. Atop his head sat a web of jewels that glistened in the light. De-summoning their disguises, the two approached to get a closer look at the boy.

"[All Appraisal Magic Item]…Hm… The Crown of Wisdom, huh. It didn't exist in YGGDRASIL, but I don't think we can take it." Ainz focused on the information that appeared in his mind. Veres just looked quizzically at him as he mulled over the information.

"[Greater Break Item]" The web of jewels turned to dust before their eyes as it faded away. Ainz caught the slumping body of Nifirea and Veres quickly checked him over. It didn't take long for her to see that other than his eyes he wasn't injured, just exhausted. Wrapping him up in a summoned blanket, Veres healed his eyes as the two made there way back out of the mausoleum, dawning their disguises once more.

Outside, Yuri had dutifully retrieved all of the magic items and anything of value. It was all piled up away from the cooling bodies of the acolytes, with a strange orb on the top. Mysteriously, the destroyed forms of Skeletal Dragons were strewn about as well. It didn't matter, as a higher level undead brawler, like Yuri, was probably the best counter for them (aside from high level magic they promised not to use). She had clearly not struggled to beat the two monsters as her hair was unblemished and she had no injuries.

"Ai-Momon-san…Here are all their items. Most of them are trash, but a few aren't worthless. The orb won't shut up though." Yuri said, gesturing to the pile. It was uncommon for her to be so curt. Whatever she meant by shutting up probably had to do with it. Although, he had no idea what she meant by it not shutting up, so he went over and grasped the orb.

Suddenly, a voice sounded in his head.

" _What's this!? Magnificent! You must be the King of Death! I thought that other one was the greatest undead, but I bow before your might, Oh Great One!"_

" _Ah, a sentient item…"_

" _Yes, My Lord! I am a being of great intelligence! I am the Jewel of Death, and I am yours to use!"_ He could see what she meant by it wouldn't shut up. It continued to swear fealty to him and drone on about his greatness. Having enough, he put it into his inventory.

' _Maybe I'll give it to Hamsuke…Yeah, it'll be fine with her.'_

"Are we done here?" Veres asked. A quick nod from Ainz and a bow from Yuri said they were. So, after putting the pile of items they had collected into their inventories, they made there way back towards the gate. Along the way, they defeated the masses of undead they passed through and helped any group they came across. At the entrance they saw a milling mass of guards and adventurers as they coordinated the extermination of the undead. At the head were Narberal and Hamsuke, their strength clearing away any approaching undead with ease as they kept the entrance open for the living.

As Ainz approached, he noticed the looks of wonder on the faces of many who saw him and his party. The guards he had aided had spread the word about a dark knight who destroyed the undead with ease, and they all witnessed Narberal and Hamsuke protecting them from the hordes that came. He ignored the looks and whispers as Narberal and Hamsuke joined back up with him while they headed towards the Bareare residence.

Just outside the shop, two people were waiting for their arrival. Lizzy was ecstatic to see her grandson unharmed, quickly ushering Ainz inside so he could put the unconscious boy down. They didn't bother to mention the healing as she was too pleased with her family's return to care about anything, even the price she would have to pay.

Ninya looked on at the victorious party, her eyes like dead fish as her broken spirit tried to process what had happened that night.

 ***Well, it's been a while. At least by this story's standards. I just needed a break from it for a while, so I started something new. I will try to get back up to 1 chap a week with both my active stories, as I have the time. I'm ahead on the other, so I can focus on this one for a bit. Hope you liked Veres going overboard.***


	15. Chapter 15

***A bit long of an update, but you might not want to read all of it. First half is Vol 3 intermission for placement. Second half is for fun.***

Gazef Stronoff genuflected before King Ranpossa III of the Re-Estize kingdom. His frail and aging king sat upon his throne while quietly listening to Gazef's report from his recent expedition. The same could not be said for the rest of the room as the many nobles quietly gossiped after hearing many of the details of the incident. Many didn't believe him for the genuinely outlandish tale he told.

"Preposterous! An undead would never help the living! Your Majesty! I implore you to relieve the Head Warrior of his post! It is clear he is no longer fit to protect you if he feels the need to spin wild fallacies to cover for his failures." Marquis Boullope, head of the Noble faction, could no longer contain his feelings. While it could be said some of his ire was because of Gazef's report, it would be more appropriate to say that the story was just an excuse for him to challenge the king and express his distaste for the commoner turned Head Warrior.

Shouts of agreement and rose from his side of the room as the Marquis' supporters defended his claim. It would be a perfect opportunity to remove a distasteful figure from their presence. The king's own faction, the Royal faction, could only silently fume while glaring at Gazef. His words had put the king in a difficult position with no beneficial solution. They coveted Gazef's use as a tool, but still resented the man for what he was.

Because of the balance of power currently resting between the two factions meant the king had to be cautious or he risked sparking a civil war. He let the words fly from the lips of the Noble faction as they lambasted his prized warrior. It was only when words suggesting treason started to be bandied about did he raise a gnarled hand to silence the room. The pride and power of the nobles meant it still took almost a full minute for the room to completely silence. Only when the murmuring had stopped completely did he speak.

"I would caution you to not bandy about such flagrant accusations without proof. The Head Warrior has proven himself many times to me and those present. As such, I implore you to give him the respect due of such a venerable commander." The king paused to collect his thoughts and let the scolding of the more vocal nobles settle in.

"Gazef Stronoff, you have served me faithfully for many years. For that I owe you much. However, the tale you tell is too outlandish to believe. Do you have any evidence to support your claims?" The king's gaze pierced into Gazef's very core. He loved his king. He was even willing to die for him, but to not have his words be believed stung deep. However, he understood the king's plight and could only pray he didn't cause him more grief.

"No, Your Majesty. By the time my men and I had recovered, they were already departing. I regretfully was not able to attain any evidence or means of verification before Gown-dono and his party left the village. We were only able to recover the armor belonging to the knights who were attacking villages. It is of imperial design, but of higher quality then the standard issue model. It seemed to have had several enhancing enchantments placed on it.

Furthermore, I did not receive any method of contacting him or obtain evidence from the Scripture that entrapped us." Gazef was truly sorry for his failure as it meant his king had to suffer. And while he did his best to conceal it, some of his emotions trickled onto his face as the noise started to return.

"Hmph! You keep talking about a Scripture. Why would forces from the Theocracy have any interest in a small village?" The marquis' voice cut through the chatter like a sharp blade. His smug tone made it very clear that he didn't believe the Head Warrior at all.

'Because they weren't there for the village, they were there for me you damned traitor!' Those were the words Gazef wished to say, but he could only remain silent and receive the rebuke of his performance.

"…Or. Perhaps they were there to eliminate the undead. While I cannot condone such a violation of our sovereignty, everyone in this room is aware of the danger posed by the undead. Perhaps it was the one who was eliminating the villages and the knights, or Scripture if the Head Warrior is to be believed, were doing their duty for humanity and eliminating such a threat.

Of course the undead would work with you! Only you could have the strength to protect it from those trying to kill it! In your naivety and preconceived notions you may have caused our country more harm by letting the monsters go free!" The marquis face went putrid as he laid into the Head Warrior. But, Gazef couldn't just ignore the inflammatory remarks against the beings who had saved him.

"I pray you wait a moment. As I have stated before, Gown-dono wasn't alone. I must stress that one of his companions wasn't one of the undead. She was of a race I am unfamiliar with, but she used holy magic to heal the more egregious wounds of my men and I. Furthermore, they fended off the Scripture on their own when my men fell against their summons. Gown-dono had no need for my strength to survive." As Gazef fiercely defended the ones who had saved him, the marquis and his supporters could only scoff at his counter to their accusation.

If they could prove that it was Gazef's fault for the blood spilt, indirectly or directly, they would have ample enough leverage to have him dismissed from his post. One could clearly see their attempt to lay blame for the violent confrontation at his feet by saying he aided a threat to the kingdom and humanity. However, his assurance of the undead sorcerer having pre-existing relations with the living made it harder for them to claim it as a threat.

"I see…Gazef Stronoff, you have served as my right hand for many years. As I can tell you greatly respect those who saved your life, I have no interest in provoking them as thanks. However, one cannot ignore such a potential threat to the nation. Therefore, we will investigate further as to determine the intentions of this 'Ainz Ooal Gown' to prove definitively if he is a threat or not. Until then, I pray you all remain patient and do not act impulsively." The king carefully and eloquently determined what was to be done about Gazef's report.

Gazef, for his part, was disappointed more wasn't being done about the attackers, be they Imperial or from the Theocracy. However, he understood the king had little choice with such fierce resistance from the Noble faction and a precarious footing with Gazef in his own. He could appreciate his liege's attempt to protect his benefactor. The nobles would be forced to wait for an official report on Gown or be subject to ire and retribution for provoking hostilities.

"If that is all Warrior-Captain, I believe it is time for us to discuss our plans for the upcoming war that is due in a few months. Marquis Raven, if you would?" With his part done, Gazef posted next to his king to serve as a guard. He only absently listened to the dire report of the kingdom as it was slowly bled out. He could barely suppress his disgust for the snake-like man who flitted between each side like a bat, wielding unchallenged power in the process.

Eventually, the dry report was done and the gathering of the assembled nobles was complete. Once the last of the nobles had departed, Gazef quietly watched over his king as the man dropped his political mask, revealing a tired and worn out old man. Gazef quietly followed him as the king slowly made his way towards his chambers, his age evident in his slow pace.

They soon came across a beautiful young woman with rich blonde hair. This was the Golden Princess, third princess and favored child of the king. She was known throughout the surrounding nations for her stellar beauty and bleeding heart. She constantly proposed ideas to aid the lower classes by giving them the tools to improve themselves.

To those who knew her more personally, they knew those ideas came from an incredibly sharp mind that could only be called 'genius'. Following behind her with a serious expression was a young man that had an intense air around him. Much to Gazef's chagrin, it called to mind the image of a dog trying its hardest to please its master.

A bright smile blossomed on the king's face as his favorite child stopped before him. They chatted much more informally than one would expect of royals, the young princess even going so far as to reject the king's offer for a private conversation. Gazef could tell he wasn't the only one who was uncomfortable familiarity shown between the two as he looked at the tight expression on the young knight's face.

"Ah. Before you go, daughter. Please inform 'Blue Rose' that I have a request for them. I feel it would be best to keep the details of the mission from too many ears. I believe only their strength will be enough to bring me peace." The king spoke low to make it clear his intentions. Gazef had a feeling what the request was about. With that granny unavailable for some time, they were the only Adamantite rank adventurers in the kingdom.

Although, he doubted even they would be able to best those immeasurable beings in a fight.

"May I ask what the request is about, Father?" The princess asked. It was clear she had burning need to learn more about why the king would require her good friend's clandestine services. Gazef noticed that Climb, the young knight, pretended to not hear anything while gazing at a wall. Although…it left his charge unwatched and his guard down. He would need to properly instruct him in how to remain attentive at all times.

"I'm afraid the details are best left in private, but it has to do with Stronoff-dono's recent mission. I believe that both strength and finesse will be required as one wrong move could cause or nation great harm." The king was candid with his words. He knew his daughter was smart enough to know when not to press for more. It was clear that he had only stoked her interested, and that he would be discussing the subject in depth later. But for now, she needed to communicate the request with her good friend.

 ***Start of second part. Not much plot, but the last half(ish) of the read is similar to the Vol 1 epilogue, but with less tentacles.***

Clementine woke up in a damp cell. There were no discernible lights or other inhabitants of her prison. It took a few minutes for her to recall how she ended up there. She completely ignored the fact that she was naked. It didn't bother her in the slightest and it made sense for her captors to take her gear. Frantically, she remembered the state her legs had been in when she was captured. Looking down, she breathed a sigh of relief to see that they had been healed.

If her captors bothered to heal her legs they couldn't be _that_ bad.

She slowly started to explore her cell, trying to find a weakness, as well as where the light was coming from. It didn't take her long to explore the entire cell, not finding anything besides a chamber pot under the cot chained to the wall. The cell was made entirely of stone except for a heavy metal door. The door was a solid slab with no bars or openings, just a small flap at the bottom presumably for food and such.

That would be her way out.

It became a waiting game as she prepared herself for an opening to escape. Every so often the flap would be opened, and food and water would be pushed through on a tray. If she pushed her chamber pot through the hole while it was still open a fresh one would take its place. Her captors really were too kind for their own good. She'd never talk like this.

She soon lost all track of time. The lack of day-night cycles and any frame of reference made it impossible to create a pattern. The meal times weren't even regular. The struggle became to keep her body in good shape while trapped in the cell. She could do muscle training but could hardly practice her agility-based skills in the cramped quarters. Eventually, she realized that her skills would degrade enough that she couldn't escape unless she made a move.

She had finally timed the duration of her feedings down to the second. It was the only time any part of her cell opened while she was awake. It was her only chance of breaking out. Her plan was simple. She would use the chamber pot and the empty food tray to grab at the limb of whoever guarded her cell. It was unlikely they would be able to deny her strength. She would then incapacitate them by slamming them into the door.

The unpleasant part came next. She would have to dislocate her shoulder to contort her arm enough to reach around for keys and unlock the door from the other side. Painful, but something she could do. After that, she would have to find a way to open the door. Hopefully, she would have enough time once it was open to grab a weapon and find an exit.

Her plan went off without a hitch. After she had opened the door to her cell she had grabbed a tray as a make shift weapon. The skeleton that had been feeding her stood no match against her even bare handed. She moved quietly through the dim halls of whatever prison she was thrown in. With so many low-level undead around it was clear she wasn't handed over to the regular authorities, so she was on her own.

She eventually came across a dead end, a hallway with a series of doors. Subtly, she checked each one, finding two were unlocked. Checking both, she found one leading into a room with several undead. The other room was empty, save for an alcove with undiscernible items. There was no way for her to beat the undead in the other room naked and with a tray. Wary of traps, she checked the alcove. She was pleasantly surprised to find her gear and several other valuable items. It must have been a weapons room.

Once more comfortably in her gear, Clementine moved back to the other room. Using her assorted martial arts to blast through the undead, she easily beat them and polished off the rust in her skills. Once it was clear, she found another pathway. Heading down the path, she made sure to silently take out anything that could raise and alarm.

After a while, her sense of direction was shot. She had made so many twists and turns that the only thing she could tell was that she was going 'up'. She finally came across a room that she had to go through to advance. Inside was an elder lich, its rotted face watching the door. Knowing she had no choice, but that she could win, she gambled that she could finish it off before anyone else came.

Moving in, she started activating her martial arts. It would pay to be cautious. The lich noticed her immediately. Its grotesque, rotten face grinned when it saw her.

" **Ah…my old acquaintance. You must be trying to escape. No matter, I will stop you here. Behold! My form given to me by the Supreme One. I am no mere lich, and I will enjoy putting you in your place. You will come to understand, just as I have."** Clementine's eyes widened in recognition. It looked as if Khajiit got his wish and became a lich. And by his tone, he was stronger than a normal lich. She would have to be careful, her old partner knew many of her skills and tricks, putting her at a disadvantage.

"Ahn~ you aren't looking so go~od Khajiit-kun~. I'll try and fix that. Please, let~me~take~care~of~you." Goading him into action, Celemtine leapt out of the way of the Lightning sent her way. Rushing forward, she used her impressive speed to close the gap. Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Khajiit-lich summoned several undead warriors to protect him. Knowing better than to get in a slugging match, she darted in between their defenses to strike at their summoner.

This went back and forth for some time, with the occasional spell being sent her way. She would sometimes get lucky and release one of her charged spells onto Khajiit-lich, the potent magic proving effective against him. Sometimes, she was also unlucky. An ill-timed movement allowing a warrior to draw blood or bruise her. It was tiring, but she eventually brought Khajiit-lich to his knees. She had exhausted his mana and weakened him enough that he couldn't resist when she destroyed his summons.

" **NO! My Lord, I have failed you! You! You will never get out of this place! My Master's strength is unfathomable!"** A raging Khajiit-lich knelt in front of her, beaten.

"Ah well~! If he's a magician I can't wait to cut him up~!" With that, she delivered a savage blow, ending her old compatriot's unlife. Just as suddenly, the door he had stood in front of opened. A towering demon with a wrathful look on his face pressed its massive body into the room.

Hoping to strike it down in one blow, she lunged at the monster…

Only for a massive hand to casually pluck her from the air. It completely ignored all of her struggles as it started marching with a purpose back the way she came. It seemed completely disinterested in her, like it was looking at a worm that crawled about its feet. Anything she did, hitting it, biting it, using her last charged spell, even trying to seduce it were all completely ineffectual.

It swiftly reached her old cell, tossing her in before slamming the door shut. She was glad her gear hadn't been taken, but she was back to square one. Digging in to the uneaten meal she had left in her haste, she thought over everything. With dawning horror, she realized that they, whoever they were, had let her escape. They had wanted to test something about her, what that was she had no idea. She would just have to wait. Her spirit weakened, she forced herself to sleep over dull pain of her injuries.

When she woke up, she felt refreshed. To her shock she had been healed in her sleep, not a trace of her wounds remaining. Another light meal had been placed in her room in front of a wall that had moved to reveal a passage. Knowing she needed her strength, she wolfed down the food and water before slowly making her way into the dark.

She eventually came upon an open room with three beings. One was the demon from before looking on disinterestedly, the other were two skeleton warriors. But they obviously weren't normal going by their elaborate breastplates and menacing hammers that both hummed with magic. When it saw her, one of the skeletons rushed forward swinging its hammer. By the speed and viciousness of its swing that its strength matched its high-end gear. She leapt into action, fighting for her life.

It was a hard-fought battle, but she eventually defeated the skeletons. As soon as the monsters fell, the demon strode forward. It deftly grabbed her by the hair before dragging her back to her cell, throwing her in before leaving again, the wall sealing behind it. She went to sleep and woke up to another meal and her injuries healed. Heading back down the hall, hoping it was some test she could pass to win her freedom, she came back to the room.

This time there were four skeletons.

Over and over, this was repeated. Each time, she would fight a stronger, varied, or more numerous opponents. After the fight, she would be taken back to her room forcefully. There, she would eat and rest, her wounds always healed when she woke up. Eventually, she couldn't win the fights. The battles became more and more lopsided as she was crushed every time. But, they didn't kill her, if she passed out or was about to be struck down her opponents would stop.

She finally realized that it was no test and she had no hope. An attempted escape like before ended much the same as her first try. Her spirit was slowly crushed as she was turned into nothing more than a punching bag and battle dummy for her 'opponents'. All the while, the demon looked on disinterestedly.

Eventually, she had had enough. She did everything in her power to kill herself on a blade in her fights. She even got desperate enough to turn her blades on herself. That just made them take her weapons away. When she finally gave up, not resisting at all when attacked, the demon finally stepped in. Her dead eyes looked up into his. Within, she could see a glimmer of pleasure at her broken state. Her spirit was crushed. She had once been a member of the Black Scripture. Now, she was a slave.

"Please… I have information… just don't make me fight anymore." Defeated, she vowed to give up her secrets of the Theocracy. It wasn't much, she had left shortly after joining, but she would do anything to end her current torment. It wasn't like she had loyalty to the Theocracy, she just feared retribution more than torture. Until now. She was just silently thrown back into her cell. The next time she woke up, she waited silently in her cell until the demon came and dragged her somewhere.

She was brought to an office with a man(?) in a suit sitting at an admittedly beautiful desk. She was forced to stand in front of the man as he watched her with a malicious smile. She told everything. Anything she remembered from Zuranon and the Theocracy came tumbling out. The man silently wrote notes on a piece of parchment, occasionally asking her to clarify or elaborate. She kept talking, even when her throat started to hurt, until she had said everything she knew.

"Well, this is quite interesting. I promise that you won't be fighting anymore. We learned what we needed to, so you are free from that obligation. Wrath, take her. You know what I want done with her." Dismissed, she was dragged away from the man(?) and taken back to her cell. She could only sigh in relief at not having to fight.

 ***Beginning of lemony flavors***

Back at her cell, she tried to figure out what the man(?) meant. Given the fact that demons and undead were abundant wherever she was it probably wouldn't be good. Thinking quickly, she desperately tried to find a way to make whatever fate awaited her more comfortable. The only thing she could think of was somehow making the demon who watched her favor her. Desperately, she used the last talent she had.

"Hey~…It gets lonely. Could you keep me company~?" She did her best to sound sexy. She knew her form was desirable to men, and when she looked up at the demon with a fire in her eyes she saw he appeared interested as well. The massive demon pressed into her room. It had been given clear reign over her care, so long as certain tests were performed.

This could be counted as a preliminary test. He needed to make sure she could handle it.

He would also break her. Even after all this, she still had a bit of arrogance. He had enjoyed destroying her hope to escape and arrogance as a fighter. Now, he would destroy her as a woman. His massive hands easily ripped through her gear, destroying the worthless trash and exposing her toned but feminine form. Her items of value were already taken, and she wouldn't be needing any clothes anymore.

Her form was admittedly attractive, for a human, and as a high-level demon he enjoyed all the cardinal sins. Just because he's Wrath, it doesn't mean he wouldn't enjoy an innocent young girl tearfully servicing his cocks while he dines on her family's flesh and enjoys a sunny day in her raided and burning manner. That was, in fact, his ideal way to relax after his sometimes-stressful work.

He swiftly revealed a solid body full of muscle, as he never wore dedicated clothes. His members were just as demonic as his body as they were exposed from their pouch. They were long and thick, covered in thick veins and nobs with flared heads. The thought of breaking the woman before him made them harden out to a length of at least a foot and as big around as her wrists.

Clementine looked fearfully at the huge cocks. She was no stranger to sex, but several members of such size at the same time would be new. Although, it could be pretty fun too. Eagerly, she dove at the demon who had silently watched her for so long, greedily pressing her body against his. She didn't hesitate to assault his mouth with her tongue, his own thick slab dominating her smaller mouth. She began to gyrate against his body, pressing her thighs against his rods.

Getting tired of the sweet foreplay, Wrath set about abusing her body. He swiftly pressed his cocks against her holes, soon finding purchase. He brutally pressed into her, not caring about her cry of pain as his dry members abused her nearly as dry flesh. He began humping into her with great force, his immense strength sending her body thrashing around on his two poles. Enjoying the deep pleasure and tightness, he bit down harshly on her nape. His strong jaw and sharp teeth had no trouble breaking her shoulder and latching onto her flesh.

However, she was used to pain. But she hadn't experienced pleasure of any kind for an inordinate amount of time while as a prisoner. Soon, the wonderous feelings started to override her pain, making her pussy wet and her body flush as she drowned in pleasure. It all became a blur to her as she was abused past her physical limit. Until, with a tremendous roar, powerful seed was shot into her depths, filling both of her holes to the brim.

Pulling her limp body off of his dicks, Wrath looked down upon her wrecked form as his cum dribbled out of her. But, he wasn't happy. Her pride and sanity had not fallen to his harsh abuse. Instead, they had risen with the pleasure she had derived after overcoming the pain.

He would need to be more extreme from now on.

When Clementine woke up, she was alone in her cell again. Her body had been healed of any marks but there was still a lingering ache in her lower half. She was also hungry. The meal that was normally there was absent, leaving her to wonder what had changed. Soon after waking up, her demon lover(?) came in and dragged her out. By then she was completely used to being treated like that, and just did her best to ignore the pain while looking around.

She was eventually brought to a large room. The air inside was cool to her bare skin, causing her nipples to go erect and hard as she focused on the room. It was filled with dozens of monstrous undead. They were called Death Knights, and she had learned about them before fighting one in her 'battles'. They were incredibly strong, and she was no match for one without equipment left behind by the gods.

The massive group of powerful undead approached the two, a fire in their red eyes. Wrath then threw her naked form down in front of them as they closed in. Clementine was genuinely fearful for her life. She knew what happened to their victims and she stood no chance against so many while naked. She didn't want to be turned into an undead.

" **She's all yours. Make sure you don't kill her and let us know if** _ **IT**_ **happens. I'll come by every so often."** With that, the demon who had watched her for so long turned and walked away. As the door shut behind him, the clawed hands of the monsters she was trapped with reached out to grab at her form. She cried out in fear and desperation as they roamed over her bare body.

Before she realized it, all the Death Knights were naked as well, their heavy armor lying in piles around the room. Their bodies were just as monstrous as their faces. With huge frames of greying flesh that looked half rotten, they were a grotesque sight. Their members were just as bad as their body. Easily reaching 10 inches and nearly as thick as Wrath's, they pressed in around her with vigor, the hard flesh slapping at her body.

She finally understood what was to happen to her.

She was to be a test to see if they could impregnate her. Why they wanted to know, she didn't care. All that mattered was that she would be used until she couldn't be anymore. There was no chance of escape. Even in her fearful state, as the gang of undead roamed over her soft flesh, she cried out for help. She begged to be left in her cell. She pleaded for the fights to return.

Anything but what was about to happen.

When she was finally positioned, one of the undead slammed home into her dry pussy, drawing blood from his forcefulness. As she screamed in pain, another member was shoved into her mouth. It's putrid stench of rotting flesh and unwashed bodies made her cry as she gagged around its massive girth. It didn't take long for another to end up below her, thrusting into her ass as her pussy was gouged out and her throat was raped raw.

Any semblance of resistance was eaten away as each Death Knight shot load after load of thick, hot spunk into her, only for another to immediately take its place. As time passed the only rest she got was when she passed out from exhaustion. She was used even in her sleep. The only food she was given was the smelly, chunky semen shot down her throat. Over time, the constant use and surprisingly rich cum transformed and corrupted her body from its athletic state into a plump, soft form that was easy to abuse and ready to bear children.

Her mind had completely shattered, leaving a blank husk in its wake. Even as more and more Death Knights were placed into the room, she couldn't muster up any hope to resist. Slowly, her shattered psyche was put back together. The only thing she could focus on was the slight differences in the cocks continuously pounded into her. So, that was what she was familiar with. Eventually, she had internally named each of the Death Knights who constantly used her, religiously devoting herself to learning about each new one.

At some point, she didn't know when, she was put down. She had been with every single Death Knight in the room so many times she couldn't count. They had finally become tired of her as her holes dripped with cum and her body was drenched in semen. She lay where she was dropped catatonically. It was the first time in however long a cock wasn't in each hole. As the Death Knights walked away, their cocks limp from use, what was once Clementine pieced together what was happening.

' _Its quiet! Quiet! NO!...I'm hungry. Hungry. Hungry! No! Their Leaving me! I'm EMPTY! How? How? YES! Babies! Then they'll stay! It won't be quiet! I won't be ALONE!'_

"AHN~. Come back here my husbands~." With a lewd smile on her face and disturbing eyes, she sat up to look at the backs of the Death Knights she called her husbands. They all turned to look at her, their grey flesh turning hard again upon seeing her perverted state. Sitting there, drenched in cum and her holes leaking their spent seed, she spread her legs invitingly to her beloveds.

"I need your cocks~…So, please. Im~preg~nate~ me~!" As she opened up her soft holes for her husbands' cocks to come back and fill them, she eagerly awaited the eternal pleasure the approaching horde would bring her.

*Some time later*

Wrath and Demiurge walked into the cavernous room where the created Death Knights were stored. There were so many that there was no where else to put them, so they all waited in the one room for orders. Inside, they could see the Death Knights crowded in a circle, many of them in various states of undress. They quickly parted for the demons as the two went into the circle.

At the center was a pale skinned woman being thrusted into from below by two Death Knights. Their grotesque members pistoned in and out of her, shaking her soft flesh and rocking her swollen belly. Her eyes full of pleasure, she greedily sucked on the tongue of one of the Death Knights, her expression bliss as she enveloped it with her arms. Upon seeing them, she detached from her partner's rotted lips and looked at them in confusion.

"Ara~ Do you have new husbands for me~?" She asked. Demiurge just smiled widely.

"No, I'm here to see how _you_ are doing. Are you ready to give birth?" He asked, looking at her massive belly. Gently rubbing her taut stomach, a motherly smile appeared on her face, the serenity of it completely destroyed by her cum-drenched image and the two cocks thrusting into her.

"Yes~! I can't wait to have my hus~bands' babies. I hope there are lots of them~." Demiurge was quite happy with her answer. He had finally gotten an undead to impregnate the living, an important first step in allowing his Master to have an heir. There appeared to be an acclimation period as the living adapted to the corruption of the undead, but that was a minor problem he could test further. The important part was two beings of **equal** strength could bear a child, even if one was undead. His business done, he turned and walked away, Wrath following obediently behind him.

"By now~. Now, my Beloved Husbands, where were we?" As he left the room, he could here the moans and slapping of wet flesh that had remained constant increase in quantity as his little experiment went back to her job of producing the unholy abominations she called babies.


End file.
